Worlds Apart
by Rowen Hashiba Of Tenku Co
Summary: One Of The First DBZ Fics I Did- Isn't It Long? 12 Parts And 24 Chapters And Counting! Tell Me If You Want Me To Write More!
1. Default Chapter

Worlds Apart PART ONE (Chapters 1 and 2)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan does Disclaimers!)  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of the characters (esp. not Vegeta-sama or Bulma-san!). Although I can always imagine that I own Trunks-chan (I wish! ^_^). What I do own are Future Trunks,Gohan,and Piccolo action figures, two identical Chibi-Trunks action figures, the Nimbus Cloud toy thingie, a whole bunch of pictures from off the net that are now on my computer, and some pens and notebooks. And of course my own twisted mind. I also own a few bad drawings or Kuriran, Vegeta, and Gokou. I own some video's, magazines, and some other DBZ stuff and I'm gonna be getting some manga (YIPPEE!Thanx Dad!)! Which I am so excited about! Oh, yeah, Trunks-chan here is FUTURE Trunks-chan, just so you don't get confused! ^_^  
WARNINGS: Violence, Vegeta, Trunks-chan getting really angry, some swearing, Trunks-chan being insulted by Vegeta-sama,  
a ghostly appearance from some old long-dead baddies, and of course Vegeta-san getting really pissed off at Trunks. Also some Bulma ( ^_^ ), Vegeta, and Trunks bashing.  
E-mail me what you think at BusterSword16@Yahoo.com .  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter One  
  
Trunks dodged aside, and his father's fist passed by him, just another second and Trunks himself was launching into the attack , slamming a fist but missing. He cursed himself for not accounting for his father's speed. He flew backward to dodge another attack by his father, and Vegeta's fist only hit the empty air were his future-son had been only a moment before.  
Trunks turned again, twisting to avoid the follow-up shot that Vegeta tried to land to compensate for the miss.  
"Okay.." Trunks muttered, "This is going to be harder than I thought."  
"Damn straight." Vegeta said quietly, using Trunks' distraction of trying to think of where to land his next hit to get off a hit to the boy's jaw.  
Trunks was driven backwards by the hit, but no real damage was done or anything, and Trunks was instantly back to the fighting. It was just a sparring session, but Trunks knew better than to hold back for that reason- even in sparring you could get seriously injured if you didn't try your hardest, especially against Vegeta.  
Trunks slammed forward, fast, and managed a hit in Vegeta's chest. Vegeta didn't even flinch and hit Trunks in the gut, sending him flying back down to the ground.  
Trunks sat, then stood, ignoring the pain in his ribs and gathering energy for another attack.  
Vegeta was also charging a technique.  
"Burning Attack!" Trunks yelled, attacking Vegeta with the energy he had charged.  
Vegeta, in charging, ignored the stinging pain that the attack had induced upon him.  
"Baka." He muttered under his breath.  
Trunks was charging again.  
"Galick Attack!" Vegeta called, his special technique hitting Trunks hard, driving the boy back to the Earth, making a crater when his body fell.  
Aside from breathing, for a moment the boy didn't move.  
Then he rolled over quickly, facing directly at Vegeta and once again doing the Burning Attack, and not holding anything back.  
Vegeta was hurt, slightly, but not by much. After all, the punishment Trunks had been taking had caused him to go back to regular instead of Super Saiyan, although the boy hadn't seemed to notice the change. Vegeta was still Super Saiyan.  
Trunks' thoughts finally focused again just enough to see the blast of ki energy flying down towards him. He couldn't dodge in time, he saw.  
The beam hit Trunks full on, knocking him into unconsciousness, his body laying still except for the ragged breathing of someone who was very badly injured.  
Some blood trickled out of his mouth, where he had been hit in the jaw. His entire body was battered from the training session.  
Vegeta walked over and picked up the smaller body, flying home with it. Flying back to Capsule Corp.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Two  
  
Bulma saw the one person land, carrying another. She was very afraid that someone had perhaps been killed.  
Once the two were inside, she followed Vegeta as he walked to the guest room and placed Trunks on the bed, then looked at Bulma.  
"He hasn't woken up." Was all he said to her,then left. She sighed, then resighned herself to look into her future-son's wounds.  
She gasped when she saw how severe they were. And this after only a training session.  
She looked the boy over: he had broken four ribs, a wrist, and had several severe cuts, gashes, and bruises all over him.  
She listened to his pulse, her hand on his wrist. It was weak, but there. His breathing was shallow and ragged, and he looked like he had been chewed up by a grizzly bear.  
She quickly took stock of the reason he wouldn't wake up, steeling her mind as she admitted it to herself. He was in a coma.  
She started to cry, and she didn't really care who knew. She picked up the phone and dialed the number of Kame House.  
It rung twice before anyone picked up.  
"Hello?" A voice asked.  
Krillin, Bulma knew.  
"Krillin, is Goku there?" She asked. She knew that her voice was shaking.  
"Yeah, he's here. Bulma, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice telling her that he was concerned.  
"It's Trunks.. Him and Vegeta were training and Trunks went comatose." She explained, trying not to start crying again.  
"Oh, that's bad. Bulma, we'll be over there okay? Take care. I'll tell Goku." He said. She said a goodbye and hang up.  
She collapsed in tears, knowing that sometimes people just didn't come out of coma's once they went into them. Some people died in coma's.  
Fifteen minuted later, the doorbell rang and Bulma wiped her tears and steeled herself to answer it.  
She opened the door and saw that the people there were Krillin, Goku, Yamcha, and Gohan.  
"Bulma, how is he?" Krillin asked cautiously.  
"Stable, I guess. I can't call the hospital." She told them.  
"Why not?" Yamcha asked.  
"Well what the heck am I supposed to tell them? That he was sparring with his father and this happened? They'd either not believe me or try to send Vegeta to jail for child abuse!" She told them, her tone agitated.  
They all walked into the guest room, and Goku purposfully put two of his fingers on the boy's forhead, concentrating. He was reading the boy's thoughts.  
"He's confused." He summerized, "He doesn't understand why he can't see or hear or move. He wants back to his body but he can't get there. He... He wants to see Vegeta."  
"Why do I feel that last part is a lie?" Bulma asked.  
"No lie, Bulma-san! I'm only telling you the truth! Honest!" Goku protested, looking at her with a half-smile. She grinned a little, glad that her friends were trying to help her get through this.  
"Hey, he'll be back. Don't worry. I'm sure he will." Said Gohan, looking up at them. He was a little short, even though he was only eleven.  
"I hope so, Gohan-chan. I hope so." Said Bulma, sighing.  
  
  
=END PART ONE=  
Konnichiwa! This is Bulma-san! Don't miss the next part of Worlds Apart! What were they thinking, fighting like that?! I wonder.. Next time on DRAGON BALL Z Worlds Apart we get to see how Trunks feels about this, and other surprises! Vegeta, where are you going?! Goku, you'd better follow him and keep him out of trouble! Looks like Goku and Vegeta are going on a grand adventure! So stay tuned! SAYONORA MINNA-SAN! 


	2. Part Two

Worlds Apart PART TWO (Chapters 3 and 4)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan does Disclaimers)  
DISCLAIMER: As stated in Part One, I don't own DBZ or any of the characters except for Future Trunks (not really, but hey, a girl can dream, eh?). All I own are a bunch of pictures and action figures and magazines and stuff. And my twisted mind.  
You want warnings? Read them in Part One.  
You'll want to read Chapter Three and think that it's Trunks' spirit who is there in that dark pit, not his physical self, which is in a Capsule Corp. guest room on a bed with a bunch of worried people around it. Okay? Cool. E-mail what you think to me at BusterSword16@Yahoo.com .  
Here we go!  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Three  
  
He was confused. What had happened? One minute he was on the ground, and the next he had found himself swathed in darkness in a place of no light, where he found that he was away from his body. He knew then, in a moment of realization, that he was either dead or in a coma. Okay, coma, he decided, since I'd definately know if I was dead.  
He tried to call out, but couldn't. He couldn't talk, couldn't hear, couldn't move.  
He felt a careful hand on his wrist at one point, feeling for a pulse. All Trunks knew was that he was very tired. His body hurt all over from being beaten so badly. He could hardly breathe.  
He felt so weak, and he wanted to cry. How could he let this happen? Had his father wanted this to happen to him, so as to get him out of his hair? Had his father simply not cared? He couldn't be sure, but the thought of his own father not even caring that he never woke up was enough to make the boy want to cry, if he could've.  
He felt, suddenly, something on his forhead. He didn't know what. Didn't care. He was tired.  
He couldn't focus really on his own thoughts, couldn't even think straight.  
He knew that if he fell asleep he would die. He tried to focus, but that just made him more tired.  
Finnally he resigned himself to stay awake no matter what.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Four  
  
After showing the guys to the door at four-thirty, Bulma tiredly returned to the guest room, this time holding the boy from the future, who now lay on the bed unconsious's present-time self.  
One-year-old baby-Trunks lay fast asleep in his mother's arms, and Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. Soon the day would be over.  
Soon she could maybe get some sleep.  
She got up to put baby-Trunks in his cradle in the room two doors down from the guest room, then returned.  
She tucked her future-son into the covers, putting his head on the pillow.  
Then she collapsed in a chair and fell asleep.  
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Goku, who had decided to follow Vegeta, finally caught up with the Saiyajin prince near a mountain range, where he stood, facing outward towards the mountains.  
"Good view?" Goku asked quietly, stepping up nearby Vegeta.  
"Go away, Kakkarot." Vegeta said coldly.  
"No.. I'm not going to go away, Vegeta-sama." Goku told the prince stubbornly, "Not 'til you tell me why you did that to Trunks during a training session."  
"He could have given up." Vegeta said simply, "He didn't."  
"Vegeta.. He is your son, and you know well that you'd never give up if you were him to why do you say it's so bad that he didn't? And you punish him for that? That's like killing someone just for being related to you!" Goku reasoned, staring hard at Vegeta, the usual merry grin escaping his face. Vegeta turned to Goku.  
"Kakkarot, what I do is not, never has been, and never will be any of your business." The Saiyajin prince said, angry.  
"We have to go see Dende. He can help, hai?" Goku suggested.  
"No." Vegeta said simply.  
"Yes, Vegeta. I don't wanna have to make you." Goku said playfully, a grin on his face.  
"Oh, fine. Not like I have anything better to do anyway." Vegeta said quietly, his tone giving away his resentment of the idea.  
"Great, let's go!" Goku said happily.  
"By Kami how did I get stuck with this moron?!" Vegeta said, launching into the air next to Goku.  
  
=END PART TWO=  
Konnichiwa Minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart, Goku and Vegeta reach Kame's Lookout and try to talk Dende into helping them bring Trunks-kun back! Uh-oh! There's a condition! One of them must win the Heaven's Tournament! Uh-oh! Looks like those two are in for a long ride! Meanwhile, I'm having trouble enough looking after Baby-Trunks but now I have to take care of Mirai no Trunks as well! Will it never stop? I'm starting to think not. Oh well. I just hope everyone ends up okay and that they don't charge Goku and Vegeta's credit cards for loaning those halos!  
Please read Worlds Apart Part Three! SAYANORA MINNA-SAN! 


	3. Part Three

Worlds Apart PART THREE (Chapters 5 and 6)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan does Disclaimers)  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the DBZ characters (Future Trunks? I wish!) or the Heaven's Tourney or any of that stuff. All I own are DBZ action figures, magazines, toys and stuff and a notebook and some pens.  
Basically the same warnings apply as in Parts One and Two.  
So here we go!  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Five  
  
The two men, Vegeta and Goku, landed on the edge of Kame's lookout, Goku in the lead, a little bit ahead of Vegeta.  
"DENDE-SAMA!!!!!" Goku yelled loudly. Dende and Mr. Popo walked up to them.  
"Yes, Goku-san? What can I do for you?" Dende asked politely.  
"We need help. We need to bring a friend of ours out of a coma and we need your help to do it." Goku explained.  
"It's pretty much against the rules... Who is it?" The small Namekseijin asked.  
"Mirai no Trunks." Goku said quietly.  
"I see.. I am sorry but there is nothing I can do." Dende said slowly.  
"Nani? Oh but Dende-sama there must be a way!" Goku said.  
"Well.. I suppose if you were to win the Heaven's Tournament I could do it." Dende said softly.  
"Really?! You will?! That's GREAT! Thank you Dende!" Goku said enthusiastically.  
"Kakkarot you fool we must win the tournament first." Vegeta told Goku.  
"Nani? Hai Vegeta-san, I hear you." Goku said, the grin never leaving his face.  
"Baikayarou." Vegeta said to Goku.  
"I am not, Vegeta." Goku said, smiling.  
"How do I keep getting stuck with this moron?!" Vegeta asked himself quietly.  
Meanwhile at Capsule Corp...  
"Hold on Baby-Trunks.." Bulma muttered as she husstled to baby-Trunks room, picking him up.  
Bulma had been busy all morning trying to get through to Kame House but the line had been busy.  
Future Trunks had not stirred at all for two hours, save to breathe. Bulma was extremely afraid for him.  
"As always over-reacting, Bulma." She said to herself as she put the now-sleeping Baby-Trunks back into his cradle, "Goku and Vegeta will find a way to get him awake I'm sure."  
Later On At Karin's Tower...  
"What a surprise." Karin said as Vegeta and Goku landed on his small tower. Small, that is, in comparison to Kame's Lookout.  
"Hi Karin. You got any senzou for us?" Goku asked, smiling.  
"Here. There are five." Said Karin, giving Goku the bag.  
"Thanks Karin!" Said Goku, hovering half-way out, "Come on, Vegeta! We don't want to be late! Thanks again Karin!"  
And they flew away.  
Meanwhile In Heaven...  
"Please King Enma I need to request that two of the living be allowed to participate in Heaven's Tournament." Said Dende in a small, quiet voice, "If it can at all be done."  
"Young Kami it is against the rules I am afraid. But have these living people been dead before?" King Enma asked the small Namekseijin.  
"Yes, King Enma, they are Goku-san and Vegeta-san." Dende informed him.  
"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything in the rules against reincarnated people participating." King Enma said generously.  
"Thank you so much King Enma!" Dende called, "I am in your debt!"  
Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta are preparing for the Tournament in Heaven and Bulma makes a startling discovery.  
At Capsule Corp...  
"Trunks-kun please wake up soon.." Bulma said. Trunks had not moved in four hours now.  
She looked him over and he looked very pale.  
Then she felt for his breath: Nothing.  
She checked his pulse: Nothing.  
Bulma stared in silent disbelief, that her future-son would be killed by his own father in this manner.  
Then she broke down in tears.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Six  
  
In Heaven, the fighters were still preparing for the tournament.  
Vegeta suddenly had the sense that something was very wrong.  
He didn't quite know what.  
"What's wrong Vegeta?" Goku asked his silent companion.  
"Something's gone wrong." Vegeta answered slowely.  
"What? Is it Trunks? What's WRONG, Vegeta?!" Goku asked, now alarmed. If this had been a normal circumstance, Goku knew that Vegeta would have said 'none of your business Kakkarot'.  
"It is. He's dead." Vegeta said quietly, shaking his head slightly, "He couldn't hang on."  
"Oh, Vegeta I'm sorry." Goku said in a low tone, "Hai.. I feel it also, now."  
"It doesn't matter. He was too weak." Vegeta said, knowing inside that he was lying and not really caring about it. The Prince of the Saiyan's could not show that he cared. Never had, never would.  
"I'm really sorry, Vegeta-san." Goku said.  
"Kakkarot, you're an ass. Go away." Vegeta said angrily. He didn't need this.  
"Hai Vegeta-san. I'll go now." Goku said, walking away.  
One half-hour later..  
The first round was on. Vegeta stepped into the ring from one side and a very familiar face stepped in the other end: Freezer.  
"Want to get beaten again?" Vegeta asked, "My son beat you and now I will."  
"Think again." Freezer commented as he flew to try and slam into Vegeta. Vegeta flew up and hit Freezer in the back, sending the alien back to the ring and then fired the Galick Attack at the creature that had destroyed his home planet.  
Vegeta then kicked the ugly bloody mass out of the ring.  
"Didn't even have to go Super Saiyan, eh?" Goku asked as Vegeta stepped out of the ring to let another pair do their fighting there.  
"No.. He was to weak." Vegeta said, "I shouldn't have even gone so far as to use the Galick Attack."  
"Gee, I suppose it was a little much especially considering that your like ten times him." Goku commented as Vegeta walked by him, not paying attention to any comment or congratulation.  
He had enough on his mind, anyways.  
  
=END PART THREE=  
Konnichiwa! Bulma-san again! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart, Vegeta-san is pitted against Zon, a master of offense, and Goku goes up against Cell! I still grieve my future-son's death so don't have a part in it much. Meanwhile, a new enemy is charging up for mass destruction! Goku, Vegeta, hurry we need you! The rules of this game have changed! Vegeta, Goku, let's get Trunks back, hai?   
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN! 


	4. Part Four

Worlds Apart Part Four (Chapters 7 and 8)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan does Disclaimers)  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any of the characters. All I own is a brand-spanking-new Japanese Dictionary, some DBZ action figures, magazines, etc. and my own twisted mind.  
Same warnings apply as to the other parts.  
Note: In Chapter Eight, "Makka na" means Crimson, "Chikara Ue e" simply means Power Up, and "Yuuryoku na Inabikari" means Powerful Lightning.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Seven  
  
Vegeta, the Saiyajin Oji (Prince) stepped into the ring.  
Opposite him was a man of medium build with black hair down to his chin and sharp green eyes. The man's name was Zon.  
"You'll lose." Vegeta commented to him.  
"I don't think so." Zon said softly.  
Then Zon ran forward, crashing into the Saiyajin Prince and driving him back a few feet before backing up, and ducking underneath Vegeta's defenses to hit him in the gut and keep pummelling him there.  
"Baka.. Give up." Zon advised, still attempting to pummel Vegeta into the ground with his superior attack power.  
Suddenly Vegeta charged up to Super Saiyan level, flying up high and blasting Zon with a powerful ki blast.  
Zon had powerful offense, but unfortunately for him his defense wasn't all that good.  
Zon was unconscious and dragged out of the ring.  
"I guess I'm up next." Goku said cheerily.  
"What are you so damn happy about?" Vegeta asked, angry at being beaten so badly.  
"Oh! Here!" Goku said, giving Vegeta a senzou bean.  
"I don't need your help." Vegeta said.  
"Yes you do. You can't fight like that!" Goku said, pressing the small object into Vegeta's hand.  
"Oh fine." Vegeta muttered, eating it.  
"Okay. Looks like I'd better go up and get to it!" Goku said, stepping up to the ring.  
What he saw there nearly made him lose his balance and fall.  
On the other side of the ring was Cell; Goku's worst enemy.  
"You. Cell." Goku said quietly, the grin dropping into a definate and angry frown.  
"Goku. I'm so glad that you remember me." Cell remarked sarcastically. Goku powered up to Super Saiyan level, and flew straight up.  
Cell followed, and threw a punch that hit Goku straight down to the ring, blasting him and creating a small crater where he had landed.  
Goku stood up and fired the Kame-ha-meha at the monster, but Cell dodged it.  
"So, who killed you?" Goku asked, knowing the answer but wanting to humiliate Cell.  
"Your baka son!" Cell yelled, charging towards Goku and knocking him out of the ring.  
Goku cursed and stood up shakily, going back to his regular form.  
Vegeta sighed.  
"Kakkorott why do I always have to finish things for you?" He asked Goku quietly. He stepped into the ring opposite Cell.  
"Oh, you want to be beaten again Vegeta? You seem to forget what happened to that son of yours." Cell taunted, only making Vegeta angry. Which was a bad idea.  
Vegeta only smirked, allowing himself a laugh.  
"Baka. I'm stronger than Kakkorott is." Vegeta said, powering up to Super Saiyan Level 2 and rushing at Cell.  
Cell flew upwards and Vegeta fired the Big Bang Attack at him.  
Cell was hit full-on, and injured badly.  
Vegeta flew up and grinned maliciously at Cell.  
"Final...." He started charging the technique.  
"Oh no.." Cell was terrified. This was Vegeta's strongest attack!  
"FLASH!" The Saiyajin prince finished, blasting Cell into the ground just outside of the ring. Vegeta landed back in the ring, going regular, and grinned.  
"Good job, Vegeta." Said Goku, grinning.  
"Kakkorott..." Vegeta seemed on the verge of saying something nice but reconsidered, "Shut up."  
Goku laughed.  
"Vegeta, don't get hurt to bad in the next fight okay? Bulma would kill me if anything happened to you." Goku said, still smiling that smile that always annoyed Vegeta so much.  
"Kakkorott, I only have one thing to say to you.. Thank Kami there aren't any more of you!" Vegeta said, walking away.  
Goku smiled.  
"Vegeta, wait for me!" He called, running after his friend.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Eight  
  
The fights raged on, and several more contestants lost and won battles.  
Vegeta won many battles, some hard-won, some easy.  
But finally it was time for the final battle.  
Vegeta had made it to the final fight of the Heaven's Tournament.  
The Saiyajin Prince strode up to the ring for the final battle, his head held high and his mouth a decided frown.  
On the other side of the ring, a fighter called Jun stepped up. She was over four thousand years old and had black hair and blue eyes.  
She wore a blue jumpsuit that had a red skirt part on it that made it look semi-Japanese. In life she had been a Japanese Princess, trained in the arts of hand-to-hand fighting, a variety of martial arts, and Japanese sword play. She had also been trained with Samurai techniques, and had continued her training in the Other World.  
She bowed respectfully to Vegeta, who bowed back.  
"Welcome to the Other World, Vegeta-san. I know you will not be staying, so I will not speak overmuch. You understand the rules of the tournament?" She asked. Vegeta nodded.  
"I haven't made it this far without knowing the rules, woman." Vegeta snarled, not bothering to be polite to the princess.  
"I see." She said, "Let us begin."  
She leapt into the air and hovered there, powering up a beam.  
"Makka-na!" She screamed, letting fly a huge red-gold beam that knocked the Saiyan Prince to the floor. He stood up, his hair now golden, an aura surrounding him that was colored gold-white.  
He looked at her, his hands in front of him, charging his own technique.  
"Big Bang!" He cried, his attack flaring out at her.  
She leapt upwards, avoiding the attack completely.  
"Chikara Ue e!!" She screamed, a bright blue-white aura surrounding her. Her power-level did a huge jump, multiplying to several times her original.  
"Damn!" Vegeta cursed, charging up the only attack that came to mind at the time that could possibly be fast enough to catch her. She was charging her own technique also.  
"Yuuryoku na Inabikari!" She screamed, blasting Vegeta with a blast that was white with streaks of blue and yellow lightning. It was so powerful that Vegeta nearly lost the power he had been charging.  
"That's it. FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta yelled, his attack hitting his opponent full-on and nearly knocking her out, causing her to lose the Chikara Ue e she had had.  
She scowled, her hair flying in her face as she assumed a fighting position. Vegeta likewise assumed a position for battle.  
Jun was charging something. Vegeta did not know what. Suddenly a red ball of energy formed in her outstretched palms.  
"MAKKA NA!!!" She screamed, the power of the blast searing Vegeta's skin and sending him flying backwards.  
He checked his landing just in time to avoid going over the edge of the ring.  
"Baka. Close but not quite." He smirked.  
She suddenly looked a bit worried. Scared, even.  
"No..." She whispered, "How can I lose? I will bring disgrace and shame upon myself and my family.."  
"Too bad." He said, his grin wider.  
She shook her head.  
"No..." She muttered, looking at him, her hair disheveled and her blue eyes wide with fear.  
"Baka na. FINAL FLASH!!!" He cried.  
The attack burned into her flesh even through the cloth of her fighting outfit. It burned her and sent her flying clear out of the ring and onto the grass outside of it, making a small crater where she landed.  
"Like I said, baka. Close, but not quite." He told her unconscious body, smirking.  
Goku ran up to him, handing him the one of the senzou beans.  
"You won! Vegeta that was amazing!" Goku said enthusiastically, "Now Trunks can come back!"  
"Kakkorott.." Vegeta said, taking the senzou bean and looking at his companion, "Thanks."  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa minna-san! Bulma here! Oh, wasn't that fight just amazing? Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart! Trunks-kun is back! So are Vegeta and Goku! But there seems to be a problem! Hmm.. I wonder what it is? Oh yeah, time passes differently in Other World! Oh no! It's been three years here on Earth! Chibi-Trunks is four, and wants some action! Oh no! Another enemy? This is very bad thing! Looks like Chibi-Trunks is going to need training! And who better than his other self?  
See you next time on DBZ Worlds Apart!  
Sayanora Minna-san! 


	5. Part Five

Worlds Apart Part Five (Chapters 9 and 10)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan does Disclaimers)  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters. Not even Mirai no Trunks, even though I wish I did. Oh yeah, I do own Ja-Aku, The Evil Dude. That's 'cuz I made him up! Oh, bad little me! I like making up my own baddies! Oh, but I can't claim rights to his appearence 'cuz I took it from Final Fantasy Seven's Sephiroth.  
Oh and yeah I know that this doesn't go with any story-line in DBZ, but it's just a story so what does it really matter? Oh and by the way, yes Mirai Trunks knows about Ja-Aku in Chapter Nine before everyone else and that's why he's training Chibi-Trunks. It's 'cuz he comes from the future so he knows this stuff already!  
Other warnings are the same as the other part's.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Nine  
  
Coming back to Earth, Vegeta remembered something.  
"Kakkorott. Time passes differently in the Other World.. It's been longer here than we thought." He told his companion.  
"What do you mean?" Goku asked, surprised.  
Vegeta commenced to explain..  
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corp...  
Indeed three years had passed, and Chibi-Trunks was four years old. Also known now as the scourge of the household.  
Future Trunks had come back to life two months before, and was in the Gravity Room with his younger self, training.  
"That's right." He said, as his younger self sent a hit to his gut, which he blocked, "You're getting it."  
Chibi-Trunks smiled and tried to hit his future-self in the chest, only to have it blocked again.  
"If I'm doing so good, how come I can't hit you?" He asked the older man with him. Although, in reality, the man wasn't that old. Eighteen. But the boy was only four, so it was quite a comparison.  
"Well, you have to remember that I've been doing this for a whole lot longer than you." Mirai Trunks said, smiling at the young boy in front of him.  
The boy smiled back. This 'other-him' was really nice, and didn't tell his mom, their mom, if he did something wrong, like break something. He just said that he did it.  
Chibi-Trunks had never met anyone like him before and liked him alot. He was the only grown-up (to him he was grown up!) he had met who knew how he really felt.  
"Point." Chibi-Trunks said, grinning and throwing another punch, which was also blocked.  
"But you're doing really well for your age." Future Trunks smiled kindly.  
"How long have you been fighting?" The younger boy asked.  
"Since I was about two or three... I think." He said, the grin fading as he spoke of his past.  
"Wow.." The boy remarked, "So you really have been doing this for a really long time, huh?"  
"Yeah.." He said, "Come on, let's take a break, okay?"  
"Okay." Chibi-Trunks nodded, "Sounds good to me."  
The boy wiped the sweat off of his forehead.  
The two left the Gravity Room and sat down in the living room.  
Just then there was a knock on the door. Mirai Trunks got up to answer it, but his younger self beat him to it.  
Chibi Trunks opened the door, revealing an older man of about thirty-three or so, and a younger man of about twenty-nine. The older of the two had black hair that spiked directly up, and black eyes that looked down at the young boy, seeming a bit peeved. The younger of the two had spikey black hair that stuck out in all directions, and black eyes. He seemed confused about something.  
"Konnichiwa. Is there something you want?" Chibi Trunks asked. The boy's future-self was silent, standing a ways behind the boy.  
"We're looking for Trunks." The younger of the two men at the door said.  
"You found him. What is it?" The boy asked.  
"Nani? Oh, we're looking for FUTURE Trunks. Is he here?" The man corrected himself after a moment.  
"Hai. I'll go get him." The boy said, running inside.  
"Nice move, Kakkorott." The older man said to the younger.  
A moment later the boy emerged, leading what appeared to be an older version of himself after him.  
"Want me to stay, sensei?" The boy asked.  
"Iie. That's all right." Mirai Trunks told his younger self.  
"Hey Trunks, who was that?" Goku, for that was the name of the younger of the two men who had come to the door, asked.  
"My own personal Mini-Me." Mirai Trunks answered.  
"Your now-time self? How long were we gone?" Goku asked.  
"Three years. I've begun training Mini-Me in there." Trunks replied.  
"How long have you been training him?" Vegeta asked.  
"About two months. He's a really fast learner. He's doing pretty well." The now-eighteen-year-old boy answered.  
"Have you taught him any of your techniques?" Goku wanted to know.  
"One. I've been training myself too. I learned a few more techniques." Trunks answered.  
"That's cool. Me and Vegeta have learned a few new techniques too. You know, we learned them when we were training for the Heaven's Tournament, even though we didn't use them during it." Goku said cheerfully.  
"Oh, yeah, come on in." Future Trunks said, and followed his father and Goku into the house after closing the door behind them.  
"Anything interesting happen?" Goku asked. Vegeta remained silent, as though not acknologing his son.  
"Yeah.. We've got to start training.. Something big's coming." Trunks replied sternly, his mouth in a frown.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Ten  
  
A strange-looking young girl of about seventeen walked into the room. She had black hair that was let down and straight, and black eyes which now showed a curiousity.  
She dressed in black jeans, a tight gray t-shirt with a red-black-and-white flower and small elephants on it that looked like it was from India, and a fuzzy-looking blue coat/sweatshirt. Her shoes were black, and she also wore a black hair-bow around her wrist.  
She looked at the two men in the room, then back at Mirai Trunks.  
"Hey M-T, who're these people?" She asked.  
"Oh, hey. Father, Goku, this is Atira, Mom's newest baby-sitter for Mini-Me. Atira Ikun, this is Son Goku and my father Vegeta." Future Trunks explained.  
"My name's Atira Ikun." She said to Vegeta and Goku, "Nice to meet you."  
"Hi. I'm Goku. But, hey, Trunks just told you that, didn't he?" Goku said, smiling.  
"So M-T, I guess you're gonna tell them why we've been training so hard?" Atira asked Mirai Trunks. He nodded.  
"Yeah. Apparently there's someone - thing - out there with a huge power. I could feel it. Atira here came to help us when she sensed it. It's power is huge, and it's utterly evil. Actually, in my time, he's still there. Noone could beat him at all. Never stood a chance." The boy from the future explained.  
There was a knock on the door. Atira left to get it.  
"So what or who is this 'great evil power' you speak of?" Vegeta asked coldly.  
"He's called Ja-Aku." Trunks said.  
Atira returned, followed by three people.  
One was Zon, from the Heaven's Tournament, and one was Jun, also from the Heaven's Tournament.  
One they didn't recognize.  
A girl with flame-red hair and bright green eyes, wearing blue jeans, black army-boots, several gold bangles, earrings, and rings, and a tight red t-shirt with the words "Fire Princess" on it. Her hair was very long and was held up by a silver hair-tie.  
"Oh, how did you guys get here?" Goku asked.  
"I'm Shukujo Kaji. You can call me Lady Fire. This is Zon Keene and Princess Jun Kuriyama. We've come to aide in your fight with Ja-Aku." The red-haired girl told them, looking to each of them one at a time, as though daring them silently to challenge her. Noone did.  
"We need all the help we can get. Welcome aboard. Welcome to the Earth's Special Forces, Lady Fire, Zon, and Princess Jun." Mirai Trunks said.  
"I guess it looks like I have to work with yet another baka who I've already beaten to a bloody pulp.. Kami how do I end up with these morons?" Vegeta asked himself.  
"I seem to remember you not exactly coming out of it too well yourself, Prince Vegeta." Jun reminded the Saiyajin prince.  
"Well, I didn't lose, did I then? So it couldn't have been a very bad wound." Vegeta taunted. Jun's expression grew more serious.  
"Well, that logic just isn't sound. You can win a battle and be near death, Prince Vegeta. It's just the matter that you still have the strength to throw your opponent out of the ring." She told him.  
"Stop it!" Trunks said, loudly. Everyone looked at him. "What?"  
"You... Never yell.." Atira said quietly.  
"Sorry." Trunks said.  
"No... Problem..." Atira replied.  
"We really have to prepare to train, or else we won't be strong enough to beat Ja-Aku." Trunks told them. Atira nodded. Vegeta scoffed.  
"I am plenty strong enough, boy." He said.  
Goku, previously silent, sighed.  
"This is gonna be a long night." He said quietly.  
  
  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa Minna-san! This is Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart! The gang trains up to meet Ja-Aku in person, and Mirai Trunks has an idea! What if everyone chose someone and the two would each give the other one technique. That way everyone would have the same technique as someone else, also boosting both people's power! Well, Ja-Aku is readying his forces to destroy the Earth! Uh-Oh! And Chibi-Trunks has been doing some private training of his own! Just how strong is everyone, anyway?! Well I guess you'll just have to wait and see, right? Well, don't ask me! Do I look like a scanner to you? Go pester Krillin if you really want to know something like that! But this whole thing has me seriously freaked out! They're trying to convince me of WHAT?! No way! Chibi Trunks is way to young to be fighting! I don't care how strong he is or how much potential he has he isn't fighting! Oh well... Please read Worlds Apart Part Six!  
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN!!!!!!! 


	6. Part Six

Worlds Apart Part Six (Chapters 11 and 12)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito  
DISCLAIMER:  
Yeah I know, I know, boring right? I'm the only one to keep writing this! I guess Pan dropped out 'cuz I was a little obnoxious about the *ahem* "wishing she owned Trunks" thing so she left.  
Well, I don't own DBZ or any of the characters here except for Jun, Zon, Lady Fire, and Ja-Aku, mainly because they are my own twisted creations.  
Oh, and I do own the new attacks for the Z Fighters, though.  
Other than that I own a notebook with some stuff in it, my computer, and a Charms Super Blow Pop.  
Well, warnings are the same as in the others so I guess here goes nothing and this is WORLDS APART PART SIX!!!  
  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter 11  
  
In the large clearing, a battle appeared to be going on.  
In actuality it was a training session between many people, who were taking it as seriously as a battle.  
A girl clad in a red and blue jump-suit jumped backwards to avoid the attack of a young boy.  
A little ways away, a boy with green hair and blue eyes dodged the attack of an older man with black hair and eyes, twisting in the air just in time to dodge.  
In another area, a girl leapt away from a beam that a boy of the same age threw at her.  
A girl in an orange suit with red hair that looked like flame ducked an attack from a man with spikey black hair.  
And a boy of about fourteen dodged the attack of a Namek.  
They were training to battle the evil creature Ja-Aku, who was so much more powerful than they were.  
The girl in the red and blue jumpsuit was Princess Jun, an ancient princess from Japan, and she trained with Chibi-Trunks, and though only four, he was a considerable foe.  
The boy with green hair and blue eyes was Zon Keene, a fighter from ancient Greece, and he trained with Vegeta, the prince of the lost Saiyajin race.  
The girl who leapt away from the beam was Atira Ikun, and the boy she trained with was Mirai Trunks, who came from the future to warn them of Ja-Aku's presence.  
The girl with the flame-red hair was Lady Fire, an ancient Goddess from the Heavens, and she trained with Goku, the Super Saiyan champion of Earth.  
And the boy who trained with the Namek was Gohan, the son of Goku, and he trained with Piccolo, one of few warrior Nameks.  
It was not until long after dark that they stopped fighting, each one reaching the extent of their physical ability to fight, exausted and beaten.  
Later, they assembled in a large room in the Capsule Corp. building, and Mirai Trunks stood in front of them.  
"Listen, I've got a plan. We figured out our training partners, but what if everyone gave their partners one technique?" He suggested, "Hey, I know you don't trust me, but please, please trust me."  
"You've gotta do better than that. This is a meeting, not a suggesting-clan!" Zon called, irritated.  
"I've got a plan to defeat Ja-Aku. I'll draw his attack from one side, while you guys get him from the other.." He said, his voice quiet, "But if any of you doubt that this plan will work then don't even bother trying. But this is the only thing that will stop Ja-Aku from destroying us all. You know it in your hearts. But do you trust me?"  
"Why should we?" Zon asked, angry.  
"Because this is gonna be the only shot we have of destroying this guy and if we mess up we're all gonna die." Future Trunks replied, a frown on his face and his fist clenching in irritation.  
"What if you fail?" Zon asked.  
"I won't fail." Mirai Trunks said, his voice not shaking even for a moment.  
"Can you be sure?" The green-haired man asked.  
"If I fail, we're all gonna go to Hell. So trust me, I won't fail." He said, his voice leaving no place for disagreement, then he added in a softer voice, a hint of a smile on his face, "I don't like death. It hurts."  
Noone spoke. Mirai Trunks walked out of the room, leaving the fighters sitting alone in the auditorium.  
He walked for a time, crossing the glorious flower garden, yet hardly noticing the brilliant colors of the blossoms that were in bloom.  
"It could have been worse." He thought he heard a voice say.  
"Who's there?" He asked, hesitating. He had a very bad feeling about this. Then he saw the producer of the voice.  
An old man stood leaning on a ceder tree, his staff leaning on the tree.  
"My name is Otoshiyori." The old man said quietly.  
"Why are you here?" The boy asked in a loud voice.  
"Remember your manners next time we meet, Mirai no Trunks-san." Otoshiyori said in his quiet voice, "And we will meet again."  
And then, as suddenly as he had come, the old man was gone. Mirai Trunks stared straight ahead, at where the man had stood a moment ago.  
"How.... How did he know my name?" He asked himself in a hoarse whisper.  
But in another part of the world, Otoshiyori knew how.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter 12  
  
The next day was the same as the last, training until dark.  
Mirai Trunks struggled to teach Atira his Jigoku Kaji technique, and she equally tried to teach him the Massatsu Bouru.  
Chibi Trunks labored over teaching Jun the Saishuu no Matataku, while she taught him the Makka na.  
Vegeta tried to get progress teaching Zon the Teiden, and Zon tried desperately to teach Vegeta the Gensou Soushin Suru.  
Goku taught Lady Fire the Chimeiteki Soushin Suru, while she taught him the Kaji Rei.  
Piccolo taught Gohan the Akuma Saigo no, while Gohan taught him the Urami Ouda.  
Thus Mirai Trunks' proposed plan took action.  
Then came the biggest blow to their team.  
In the Capsule Corp. building, Mirai and Chibi Trunks stood in front of Bulma, who was yelling.  
"NO WAY! I'm not going to let you take Chibi Trunks into a battle! He's way too young! I don't care who his father is and I don't care how strong he is!" She shouted.  
"Mother, please. Understand. This whole world will be destroyed if we don't get all the help we can. Please let Chibi Trunks help us." Mirai Trunks pleaded. Chibi Trunks looked up at the teenage boy next to him, his eyes showing hope.  
"No. Absolutely not." Bulma stood firm. Chibi Trunks looked at her.  
"But mommy.. I have to.. Please?" The young boy pleaded.  
Bulma looked at the two boys for a moment.  
"Ugh.. You truly do have the blood of your father! I know well that no matter what I say you'll go, so yeah, you can go.." Bulma said, faking desperation, but really hiding a slim smile.  
"Thanks!" Chibi Trunks cried, running to his room.  
"Calling Goten." Mirai Trunks explained, heading for the guest room he stayed in.  
Bulma watched them go.  
One was the son she had never known, and one was the son she was watching grow up, already beginning to resemble his future self a bit.  
She wondered dimly if her future self had ever had to deal with these things with Mirai Trunks when he was four.  
From nearby, in the corner of the room, Vegeta smiled silently.  
Bulma looked at him.  
"You knew I'd say yes, didn't you?" Bulma asked him. He nodded.  
"You always say yes." Vegeta said simply.  
"I do not!" She said, but he simply walked away without a word.  
She unclenched her fist, realizing only then that in irritation at her husband she had clenched it.  
She sighed and sat down on the couch.  
Soon the showdown with Ja-Aku would come. She wondered if she would lose one of the people she cared about.  
Her husband (for whatever love he gave her), her son, her future son (who had come to be like a real son to her), or her friends.  
She knew that it would be extremely hard to get over it if anything happened to them.  
Slowly she pulled herself up and went to her bedroom, wondering if anything could be done to ease her mind.  
But although she slept peacefully, her mind reeled with the possibilities of what could happen in the battle.  
For although she could act tough, she was scared out of her mind.  
  
=END=  
  
Konnichiwa, Minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart, Mirai Trunks is met again by the mysterious Otoshiyori, who leaves a cryptic warning. What does it all mean? Who is Otoshiyori anyway? What does he want with Mirai Trunks? Ja-Aku's arrival is soon, and we are so far from ready! It's time for a search for the Dragon Balls! We need them together so that we can wish back anyone killed! But, where are they? Can we even find them in time? Mirai Trunks seems to think so!  
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN!!!!! 


	7. Part Seven

Worlds Apart Part Seven (Chapters 13 and 14)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any of the characters except for those I created.  
Same usual warnings and disclaimer applies as to the other parts of this fic.  
Don't sue me all you'll get is an over-loaded notebook, a denim planning book with addresses and stuff, and my sick and twisted mind.  
Okay here we go this is WORLDS APART part Seven!!!  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
In the lush garden beyond Capsule Corp., a tired boy walked through the peaceful flowers and trees, collecting his thoughts. He had finally achieved the Massatsu Bouru technique that Atira had been teaching him, but he was now exausted.  
Suddenly, he felt that he was not alone. Turning quickly, he instantly recognized the old man who now stood before him.  
"Otoshiyori." The boy said, his expression grim.  
"Mirai Trunks." The old man greeted seriously, no hints to what he had come for were betrayed by his voice.  
"What do you want?" Trunks asked, the hand that remained in his pocket curling into a fist.  
Otoshiyori walked closer to the time-traveler, as though he was about to tell him something very secret that noone else could hear.  
Trunks stepped back a step, not wanting to be very close to the strange old man.  
"To begin with," The man began, "You already know that this world is in danger." Trunks nodded and Otoshiyori continued, "But I do not believe that you realize how much danger."  
"Of course I do!" Trunks cried, his patience leaving him, "That monster destroyed everything I loved and cared for and everything I had! I had to give it all up! Everyone I loved was destroyed! Everything I had worked so hard to do and bring back since the androids was annihalated! And you say I don't know how much danger this world is in?!"  
Otoshiyori sighed.  
"I think you believe you know," Otoshiyori said, "But I don't know if you really know the full scale of this. I'll warn you right now that unless you can find your own hidden power, and stop letting your pride control you, that you will die. To find your hidden powers, you must look inside yourself. And in order to do that, you musn't let pride control you any longer. Already I fear my warning has come too late.."  
"I don't know what you're talking about! What hidden powers?" Trunks asked, shaking his head slightly, causing his medium-length lavender hair to veil his face, then putting up a hand and wiping the hair out of his eyes.  
Otoshiyori watched the boy in fasination, that anyone would be so motivated by this hatred to defy fate itself and help the people of this time.  
"Your hidden powers. The powers that were left you by the generations of Saiyajin warriors in your blood-line. In order to defeat Ja-Aku, you must bring these powers out and use them to destroy the evil being." Otoshiyori explained. Trunks briefly wondered if his father knew what the old man was talking about.  
As if sensing his very thoughts, the old man spoke again.  
"Don't try asking your father. He knows nothing of your powers. He does not know it.. He does not even suspect it." Otoshiyori said, his voice low and foreboding, "I will see you again, if you survive."  
And with that, the old man dissappeared.  
"Damn it old man, why do you do this to me?!" Trunks cried, his voice carried quite a distance by the warm late-summer wind.  
The boy looked around and yet he saw that there was no trace of the old man anywhere but his memory.  
In another part of the world, in a room that looked much like a library, Otoshiyori mused quietly on the boy's future.  
He picked up a book and looked into it. It was a book of Saiyajin lore from ancient times. It had a bookmark in it somewhere around the middle, in a section with the words "Legendary Saiyajin" as the heading to it.  
He wondered briefly if the demi-Saiyajin could destroy Ja-Aku, if he really, as Otoshiyori himself suspected, had the potential to be the greatest of all of the fighters.  
And he quietly prayed for the safety of the powerful demi-Saiyajin.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
"We've got to find the Dragon Balls." Bulma announced in the auditorium, where all of the fighters, with the exception of Mirai Trunks, whom noone could find, were gathered, "If anyone dies, we need to be able to wish them back. Any volunteers?"  
Six hands shot up.  
Bulma looked. Chibi-Trunks, Lady Fire, Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Atira had volunteered for the job.  
"Okay, good." Bulma said, "I think I can get Mirai Trunks to handle that seventh ball."  
Later, each of the seven (because Bulma had found and convinced Mirai Trunks to help) volunteers were given the coordinates or the Dragon Balls they were to find.  
Goku would go for the one-star ball, Chibi-Trunks for the two-star ball, Vegeta for the three-star ball, Gohan for the fourth ball, Atira for the five-star ball, Lady Fire for the six-star ball, and Mirai Trunks for the seven-star ball.  
Soon, everyone found themselves searching for the Dragon Balls.  
In one corner of the world, high up in Antarctica, Goku complained of the cold temperatures as he searched for the one-star ball.  
Deep in the jungles of Brazil, Chibi-Trunks skirted dangerous wildlife in his search for the two-star ball.  
Finding himself in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Vegeta found himself very thirsty, as he continued his search for the three-star ball.  
On the rocky crags of South Africa, Gohan tried not to fall into the churning ocean waves as he searched for the four-star ball.  
In the huge plains of Yellowstone National Park in North America, Atira found herself trying to out-fox the hungry foxes as she continues her trek for the five-star ball.  
Near an active volcano in the United States' state of Hawaii, Lady Fire ignored the searing heat of the air and ground as she searched for the six-star ball.  
And in snow-covered Western Russia, Mirai Trunks found it hard to believe that it was summer in Japan as he looked for the seven-star ball.  
Everyone had been found in a dangerous, if not deadly, situation, in danger of everything from freezing to death to being eaten by wild animals.  
In Antarctica, Son Goku climbed a snow-covered hill and accidentaly tripped on something.  
Muttering to himself about how stupid he had been to fall like that, and also managing to get snow-covered, he looked back to see what he had tripped on. He gasped when he saw it: The one-star Dragon Ball. He picked it up in mittened hands, looking at it with wonder and hoping he could get back to Japan and summertime soon.  
In Brazil, Chibi-Trunks climbed a tree to get a better look at his surroundings.  
Thinking the expedition something like a training exercise, he used none of his powers to fly up to look, enjoying the climb anyway.  
He looked around at the top, and saw only the tops of so many thousands of trees stretching out into the horizon.  
Climbing down, a bit disheartened, he gasped as some animal or other ran past him. He ran after it, thinking to find out what it was, but stopped short when he saw a glimmer of light.  
He looked closer and opened his mouth in wonder, although no sound came out.  
The two-star Dragon Ball sat in the nest of some bird.  
Grabbing it, he prepared to go home.  
Meanwhile, in the sweltering heat of the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Vegeta  
walked in the sand, not tiring, but going slow so that he didn't miss anything.  
He happened upon a traveling salesman, and only then did he see the Dragon Ball. The three-star ball sat on a rack in the salesman's cart.  
"Excuse me, did you see something you like?" The Arabian trader asked him.  
"That." Vegeta said, pointing to the Dragon Ball.  
"That is very rare. That will be 200 ruppees." The trader told him.  
"In American dollars?" Vegeta asked.  
"100 American dollars." The Arabian said, smiling.  
Vegeta thought for a moment, nodded, and took out his money.  
"I'll take it." He said, handing over the money and grabbing the Dragon Ball.  
"Thank you, sir." The Arabian merchant said calmly, turning to leave.  
Vegeta put out his hand and blew up the cart and all of the valuables before the merchant could reach it.  
"No.. Thank you." Vegeta said sarcastically, gearing up for the flight home.  
In South Africa, on the craggy rock cliffs over-looking the ocean, fourteen-year-old Gohan balanced himself precariously on the cliff, looking for the Dragon Ball.  
Suddenly he felt a strong wind blow at him, knocking him over the cliff and in the heavy waves of the ocean.  
The waves slammed the boy against the walls of the rock cliffs, even as he tried to swim away from them.  
Suddenly he saw a gleaming orange light from somewhere below him and started swimming downwards.  
He reached a cup-shaped rock, and imbedded in it was the four-star Dragon Ball.  
Gohan caught himself before sighing with relief. He was under-water, with little air, and swimming from the waves was rapidly depleting his energy.  
Pulling at the Dragon Ball, he found that it was definately not going to be easy to get out of the grasping rock claws that held it.  
Yanking hard, he saw the rocks crack a little.  
He yanked it again, and the rocks gave way, causing him to catapult backwards, and back into the rocks.  
Powering up again, he flew out of the water and headed for home.  
In the U.S.A's Yellowstone National Park, Atira stood, panting, hoping the fox she had just out-run didn't want to try again.  
She sighed, breathing deeply, taking in the pine-scent of the giant trees around her, and wondering why something tangy interrupted her ecstacy.  
She looked at the ground and noticed a sprig of cinnamon growing on the ground, noting it to be the source of the sharp scent she had noticed.  
It kind of reminded her of her good friend, Mirai no Trunks, who had come in as an equal to them despite his differences and where he came from. How he had sprouted as an individual and yet a part of the team, even though his home was not in this world.  
Sighing, she thought to herself of a quote she had read: "Every Living Thing Is Precious Somehow", and it kind of made her think.  
She smiled, resigning herself to her task.  
She spotted, suddenly, a small rock in which was a hole. It was hollow. Inside the hole she could see a single red star.  
The Dragon Ball.  
She put her fist up to bring it down and smash the stone, but a chattering squirrel got in the way. Apparently the rock was it's treasure. She reached over the squirrel and took the rock, ignoring it's scratches and bites. She then promtly smashed the rock with a fist and grinned as she saw the five-star Dragon Ball emerge from it.  
She took off then, fully ready to go home.  
In the state of Hawaii, Lady Fire tugged up the molten rocks near an active volcano.  
She knew it would errupt soon and that she'd better hurry, but she had no idea where to look for the Dragon Ball.  
She looked up at the volcano, trying to guage how soon it would be until it errupted. She suddenly saw something shine near the top of the volcano that caught her eye.  
It shined a magnificent red-orange color, so bright she almost thought it a tongue of fire or early lava.  
Then she flew up to get a closer look, and saw that it was the six-star ball.  
Grabbing it, she flew away just as the volcano began to errupt.  
Meanwhile, somewhere near Moscow, Russia, Mirai Trunks took up his own search for the Dragon Ball.  
Sighing, he knew it might take hours to find it.  
Something came to him, words his friend Atira had spoken to him long ago: "Everything Is Connected To Everything Else".  
He grinned, the sound of his friends' voice in his mind giving him new hope.  
Before long, he happened upon a small snow-ball.  
Picking it up and preparing to throw it into a boulder he saw, his thumb smudged into the snow, hitting something hard.  
Looking, he saw that it was the seven-star Dragon Ball.  
He stashed it in his pocket as he heard someone approaching.  
"American. What are you doing here? Are you a spy?" A Russian military officer asked, approaching him. Not wanting to cause trouble, Mirai Trunks shook his head.  
"No.. Not at all. I'm not American anyway. I'm Japanese." Trunks answered truthfully.  
"You don't look it, spy." The officer said, pulling out a machine gun.  
Trunks wasn't afraid of bullets; unless they hit him in the heart, the head, or the neck, they couldn't harm him, but they hurt a lot.  
Trunks floated three or four feet into the air, causing the Russian soldier to hesitate, giving the boy enough time to fly away home, to safety.  
Gathered back at Capsule Corp., Bulma looked at the seven lined up Dragon Balls, and the people who got them.  
Goku was sitting in a sun-beam, trying to get warm again, Gohan was using a towel to dry off, Vegeta had a very tall glass of water, Chibi-Trunks was relaxing from his climb, Atira was singing softly, Lady Fire was sitting in front of a fan to cool off, and Mirai Trunks was humming softly, leaning against the wall.  
"Arigato!" Bulma cried, "Now we've got all of the Dragon Balls!"  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on DRAGON BALL Z WORLDS APART, it's time to enter the final stage of training for the fight against Ja-Aku! Mirai Trunks talks to Otoshiyori, who advises him on a way to train that might bring out his hidden powers. But, what hidden powers are those? Mirai-Trunks-kun, you're keeping secrets from us! And Mirai Trunks finds out who Otoshiyori is! Also, Vegeta and Goku spar together, training to find each other's weaknesses and strengthen them. Plus, Mirai Trunks has a secret to show us! See you!  
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN!!!!! 


	8. Part Eight

Worlds Apart Part Eight (Chapters 15 and 16)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any of the characters except for the ones I made up.  
Don't sue me all you'll get is my sick sick mind, a Japanese Dictionary, a notebook, and some music CD's 'cuz I'm broke.  
Warnings and Disclaimer are the same as with the other parts.  
NOTE: Otoshiyori means "Old Man" in Japanese, and Kashikoi means "Wise". And Seizon-sha means "Survivor".  
  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
In the quiet garden behind the Capsule Corp. building, Mirai Trunks sat on a rock, waiting to see if Otoshiyori would make another appearence, for he desperately wanted to ask him about these hidden powers he spoke of and how to unlock them.  
Silently, the boy reprimanded himself for behaving this way, although secretely he prayed that the old man would appear to answer his questions.  
Suddenly, a voice rang out.  
"Mirai Trunks, stop praying now. I'm here." Otoshiyori said. Trunks blushed a little bit, as he always did when he was embarressed, but kept quiet.  
"I need to ask you... What are these powers? How do I unlock them?" The boy asked, looking more confused than he usually did.  
"You can only unlock your hidden powers by looking into yourself and recognizing and getting to know your own weaknesses, by becoming humble in a sense, not as full of pride and un-patience as you are now, Mirai Trunks." Otoshiyori chose his words carefully, "And the power I speak of is that of the Legendary Saiyajin, one who is stronger than all of the rest. I strongly believe that the legendary Saiyajin in this generation is a demi-Saiyajin, as you are, and I feel it is you. I think that you could become stronger than any before. Although, I don't know if you can surpass your father and Son Goku, although it is possible, but it depends on how successful you are when you test it. Don't tell your father about this though.. He will not be happy to know that I have returned."  
"Why? Who are you, really?" Mirai Trunks asked, still a bit dazed by the speech the old man had given.  
"My true name is Kashikoi, and I was the first person to tell him that he was not the Legendary Saiyajin of his generation. I believe that Son Goku was in that generation.. Although, I am old, and I might be mistaken.." Otoshiyori- Kashikoi, Trunks reminded himself to call the old man- told him. The boy nodded.  
"Yes, I think that sounds right. Son Goku has always been extremely powerful." Trunks said.  
"Now, listen to me," Kashikoi told the boy, "Don't let your pride control you! I will see you again when you have trained!"  
The old man dissappeared into thin air, as Mirai Trunks had grown used to him doing.  
Staring ahead, the boy walked calmly into the forest surrounding the Capsule Corp. building.  
Walking deep into the forest, Mirai Trunks stopped in a clearing he recognized as a favorite place of his childhood in his time.  
Sitting down on the huge boulder, a feat that had been hard for him when he was younger, he closed his eyes to concentrate.  
He thought it out, remembering a phrase that he knew to be true, out of a book he had read: "The Heart Can See Things Invisible To The Eye".  
He dove into his memories, starting with the earliest he knew.  
The memory of his mother holding him when he was about three and a half, because he had fallen and scraped his knee. She sang to him quietly, making him feel better.  
There were several important memories for him.  
His first bike ride, when he had been five, had seemed magic then.  
He laughed as he remembered his first training session when he was seven, when he had been training with Gohan, who had held him off with two fingers then.  
When he was ten, he remembered, was when he first knew why the people in the city were so nervous. Because of the cyborgs, he had learned then, who had been attacking the world for about sixteen years already.  
When he was eleven, when the cyborgs had first attacked the city where he lived, leaving it little more than rubble, when the Earth's Special Forces, not including Trunks, had attacked the cyborgs, who had in turn destroyed all of the ESF but Trunks himself and Gohan.  
When he was twelve, when he and Gohan had fought the cyborgs alone and Trunks had been beaten badly by them, and Gohan had fended them off, losing his arm in the process, but both survived.  
And finally when he was thirteen, when Gohan had gone to fight the cyborgs and had drugged Trunks to keep him out of the way.  
And how when Trunks had woken up and gone to the battle-ground, all he found was his best friend and mentor's broken body, and how all the anger and rage he had built up for the cyborgs, now strengthened by Gohan's death, had built inside of him until it exploded, causing him to go Super Saiyan for the first time.  
And when he was fourteen, when his mother completed the time machine, engraved with the word "Hope" on one side, how he had had to say good-bye to her, trying not to see that she was crying, trying not to notice that he was.  
And when he had arrived in the past time, about two or three hours before Goku returned, and how that had been the first time he had ever met his father, Vegeta, and how he had given Goku the medicine for the heart disease that at that time in the past had no cure, and how he had returned to his time, only to return when, in his time six months had past, and in the past time (for Trunks it was past time) it had been three years. How he had tried to impress his father and gone Super Saiyan level 2.  
And how he had returned once more to warn them of Ja-Aku, only to be post-poned by three years.  
He thought hard, knowing already one of his weaknesses: His pride.  
He quickly found another few: He was impatient, and lacked fore-sight.  
He knew that he wasn't incredibly good at making plans, and he also knew himself to be a hot-head and he got angry far too easily.  
These weaknesses he knew, but he had also sensed that Kashikoi hadn't meant only weaknesses of the body and mind, but those of his heart and soul as well.  
He knew that it was wrong of him to try and sacrifice himself to impress someone else, and that he shouldn't try to take on battles he knew he would lose. He felt himself flawed for attempting to do these things, for the most part all for one person. And he felt that he was weaker, perhaps too weak to even attempt to master the powers within him.  
But he strengthened his reserve, and looked deeper, finding the flaws he had now, and those from all of his life.  
He found something out, also.  
Everyone has flaws, it just depends on how deep you go to see them.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
Resigning herself to stay awake no matter what, Bulma waited in the living room for her future-son to come home.  
She wondered if something had happened to him.  
But then, as if in answer, Mirai Trunks walked in.  
He looked terrible.  
Not physically, actually he looked just fine, but there was an air of exaustion around him, and he looked as though his spirit was half-dead.  
"Mirai Trunks-kun, what happened?" Bulma asked, her tone worried.  
"I'm okay.." He said, dissappearing down the corridor to his bedroom.  
"Oh, Trunks-kun, I wish you would tell me what is going on with you... I'm your... Your mother.. You should tell me." Bulma said softly, her voice shaking near the end, a single silver tear sliding down her cheek.  
The next morning, when Mirai Trunks came into the living room, looking little better than he had the last night, Bulma waited for him.  
"Trunks, what happened yesterday?" She asked him. He looked at her.  
"I saw Otoshiyori again, and he explained some things to me that I didn't know before..That's all." He replied, but Bulma knew there was more, "I need to go now."  
And with that he left, towards the woods again, leaving Bulma to wonder.  
In the woods, Trunks went to the stone and sat again on it's well-worn surface, softened by over a hundred years in the forest.  
He pondered the meaning of what Otoshiyori had told him.  
The legendary Saiyajin warrior, a demi-Saiyajin like himself? It seemed impossible, at least to him.  
"Am I doing the right thing?" He asked the trees, the creatures around him, and, most of all the spirit of his mother, who had been killed by Ja-Aku in his time.  
He looked around, almost expecting an answer.  
"Am I doing the right thing?!" He cried out, his voice echoing and dying in the cool morning air.  
Delving into his deeper self once more, the boy of the future sought once again to find his weaknesses, get to know them, and prepare to face his fears once and for all.  
Meanwhile, in a large clear field, two men traded blows.  
The men were Goku and Vegeta, and they trained hard, exchanging attacks as each tried to find the others' weaknesses.  
"You're leaving yourself open." Vegeta grunted, sending an attack at Goku's gut, sending the younger man flying backwards.  
"Ugh.... H.. Hai, Vegeta.." Goku said quietly, flying back up slowely.  
Vegeta saw only then the ball of blue energy that Goku had in his hands.  
"Shimatta!" Vegeta cursed, leaping high but unable to dodge the Kamehameha technique as it flew into him,scorching him.  
"And you wait for your opponent to get up way too often. Them laying on the ground as you wait for them to get up could be them tricking you while charging up an attack." Goku explained, a small grin on.  
Vegeta cursed again, though this time the curse was directed at Goku.  
"Kutabatchimae!" Vegeta told Goku, snarling as he fired his Big Bang attack at the younger man.  
"Vegeta-san! Take it easy it's only training!" Goku called as he narrowly missed being hit by the attack, although it still seared his arm.  
Vegeta answered him by throwing a Ki blast at him.  
A while later in the forest where Mirai Trunks was..  
Seeing all of the weaknesses inside of him, he knew that strengthening them would take a lot out of him.  
He looked around, hearing something speak.  
"All living things have the potential to change." The voice intoned. It was a feminine voice, soft as a leaf landing on the ground.  
"Who's there?" He asked, half-expecting some person to come out of the bushes, but noone did.  
"Not who, what!" The voice told him.  
"What, then?" He asked her.  
"A girl. My name is Seizon-sha. And you are Mirai no Trunks, the boy from the future." She said, coming out at last.  
She was tall and thin, with blonde hair that came down to her mid-back that had dark-blue tips, and bright green eyes that reflected the color of the forest. She wore a kind of shift that was white and went down to her knees, and soft white slippers.  
"Who are you?" He asked.  
"I'm Seizon-sha, the girl of the forest. I watch you here and I thought I should tell you that yes indeed, you are doing the right thing, Mirai Trunks." She said.  
"What do you want?" He asked.  
"To tell you that the only way you'll be able to solve this problem is to defeat your father in a fight, Trunks-san." She said, dissappearing as suddenly as she had appeared.  
"Defeat... My father?" He asked himself quietly.  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on DRAGON BALL Z WORLDS APART! Mirai Trunks has a very crazy idea: that he must defeat Vegeta in battle! What is he thinking! And who, exactly, is that Seizon-sha girl he was talking to? And why would he want to defeat Vegeta anyway? Plus, Ja-Aku arrives in Earth's atmosphere! All this and more surprises, next time on Dragon Ball Z, Worlds Apart!  
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN!!!!!!!! 


	9. Part Nine

Worlds Apart Part Nine (Chapters 17 and 18)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any of the characters. Seizon-sha, Kashikoi, Zon Keene, Princess Jun, Atira Ikun, and Ja-Aku are characters of my own creation and so please don't use them with out permission. But if you really want to you can E-mail me and tell me who and what for at BusterSword16@Yahoo.com , and I'll probably let you. I just do that so that I don't lose track of where they all are in what stories (that and I'd love to see the end result of whatever you wonderful readers do with the guys here!), and I love reading new and interesting things. Actually, it'd be cool if someone would do the past of Kashikoi, who was a Saiyajin elder when Vegeta was just a little kid and was his teacher, and the first to inform him that he wasn't a Legendary Saiyajin, which appears only once per generation (personal belief: Goku was that generations, and Trunks is this one's.). Oh, all I own is a notebook and a Japanese dictionary (and a bedside T.V. that get's about twenty channels on it (my favorites are 10 -on which I watch Digimon Zero Two- and 22 -on which I watch the X-Files-)), and so if you sue me thats all you'll get. Well, not the T.V., 'cuz it's my aunt's and I'm just borrowing it.  
So here we go! Warnings are the same.  
This is Worlds Apart Part Nine!  
NOTE: Thanks to Ms. Kaycee Ronin, who's fan-fic Far Apart, which I read to gear myself up for the Vegeta vs. Mirai Trunks scene, was absolutely awesome for inspiration on how to go about that scene in particular, and also one scene in Part One, but that's another 'story'. Keep up the good work, Kaycee! I love the fic so far!  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
Mirai Trunks approached his father, his eyes holding some hidden emotion that Vegeta couldn't decifer.  
"Father.." Trunks said softly, then catching himself and saying in a harder voice, "Fight me now! No stops!"  
Vegeta paused, staring at his future-son, his expression going from casual to surprised in two seconds flat as the meaning of the proposition became clear to him.  
"I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into, boy." Vegeta said, his tone making it clear that he thought he would win easily.  
"You heard me, Father." Trunks told him, "No stops. Let's go."  
"Alright, boy, if that's what you want." Vegeta said, shifting into a fighting position.  
They stood on a grassy field above a steep cliff near some high mountains.  
Trunks moved into his regular fighting pose, shifting quickly from regular to Super Saiyan.  
Vegeta did likewise.  
Suddenly, Trunks jumped backwards, not doing the usual punches and kicks that more often than not began a fight.  
Instead, he jumped back, and, hovering in the still air, fired a high-power Ki beam at Vegeta.  
Vegeta realized what the emotions Trunks had not been acting on: Regret, and reluctance. Vegeta knew that someone had told the boy to do this. Trunks would not fight Vegeta willingly, on his own.  
Vegeta knew he had to stop it, then.  
"Takusan no Kuragari Soushin suru!" Vegeta cried, his technique biting into Trunks' skin, and though it hurt, Trunks blocked it out, making himself continue.  
Vegeta's shoulder stung from the beam Trunks had thrown at him.  
Ignoring it, Vegeta continued the attack, the tiny black-purple beams ripping into the boy's skin like hundreds of tiny razors.  
Ceasing his fire, Vegeta watched to see what the boy would do next.  
"Jigoku Kaji!!" Mirai Trunks yelled, his hands in front of him, sending a bright red beam flying into his father.  
Vegeta moved out of the way, but wasn't quite fast enough, and was caught on the shoulder, searing it with a red-hot pain that felt like he was being branded with hot iron.  
"Why are you doing this, boy?" Vegeta asked through clenched teeth.  
"Because I have to." Trunks replied, his hand stretching out in front of him.  
Vegeta saw that the boy was about to attack, and raised his palms out in front of him.  
"Kiiro no Kirinuki Soushin suru!" Vegeta cried, sending hundreds of small yellow beams, slightly larger than the ones of the Takusan no Kuragari Soushin suru attack's black ones, sending them into Trunks, causing him to cry out in pain as the small beams cut into his very being.  
That was the reason behind the Kiiro no Kirinuki Soushin suru, a last-ditch technique that not only cut apart the victim's body, but cut into their very heart and soul.  
Vegeta's heart wrenched for no reason he could find, as he watched his son's body being torn apart by the yellow beams, the boy screaming wide-eyed as his heart and soul, his being, and his entire body, was torn apart by the beams.  
The man watched the boy, and stopped the attack.  
The boy fell to the ground, but then stood up again.  
Weakly, the boy stood unsteadily on his feet, his aura growing more powerful and his power-level rising as he went to Super Saiyan level 2, and then something happened.  
Seeing Vegeta standing there, his palms still outstretched from the attack, made Trunks very angry.  
Suddenly, Vegeta felt a bright flare of power coming from the boy, the aura created by the boy's power growing so bright that in the night sky it might be mistaken for a star.  
When the initial glow faded back to a level where Vegeta could see through it, he saw that Trunks' general appearance had changed.  
The boy's hair, golden, now reached a little farther than his mid-back, and his features were much more pronounced.  
"What?!" Vegeta was amazed. The boy in front of him grinned maliciously.  
"Super Saiyan level 3." Mirai Trunks said, the smile vanishing.  
Vegeta raised his power to Super Saiyan level 4, to meet the challenge.  
"Enough play-time!" Vegeta stretched his hands out again, "Takusan no Kuragari Soushin suru!!!"  
Trunks' countered.  
"Rei Soushin suru!" The boy cried, sending a beam from one outstretched palm, to meet Vegeta's beams.  
The pale-lavender beam peirced through the black-purple beams, slamming into Vegeta with what appeared the force of a thousand beams.  
Holding his shoulder, Vegeta cursed at the boy, a hateful swear in the language of the Saiyans.  
Trunks appeared tired out from the beam, gasping for air as he stood suspended in the air.  
Suddenly Vegeta saw the opening, and stretched his hands out towards the boy, palms outward.  
Trunks looked at his father in realization and horror.  
"Kiiro no Kirinuki Soushin suru!" Vegeta yelled, sending again the spirit-and-body cutting beams at his son.  
Before they hit him, Trunks stared at his father, and Vegeta saw pure terror in the boy's eyes.  
Mirai Trunks felt sure that he was going to die. But he didn't want to die again.  
"No... Not again!" Trunks cried as the beams began their merciless assault on him.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
The boy fell to the ground, the yellow beams still cutting into him, tearing him apart even as he fell.  
Vegeta looked down, watching the boy, and stopped the attack.  
The boy was very still, with the exception of his breathing.  
If Vegeta couldn't sense the boy's Ki signal, he would have thought him dead.  
The boy coughed, some blood coming from the corner of his mouth as he lay in the crater that his own body had created near the edge of the cliff.  
"The cliff!" Vegeta cried hoarsly as he saw the ledge the boy had landed on crack and fall away, over the cliffside.  
The cliff, Vegeta knew, was about nine hundred miles high, carved deep into the Earth.  
Not even a Saiyajin could survive the fall.  
Vegeta dove off of the cliff, flying downwards in an attempt to stop the boy from dying.  
Finally Vegeta caught up to the boy, catching him in his arms.  
Cradling the boy in his arms, Vegeta flew back to the grassy plain, leaning the boy on a great tree, in a sitting position.  
The boy moaned softly, his eyes fluttering open slowly.  
Vegeta was horrified by what he saw.  
Trunks looked at Vegeta, his eyes showing a terrible blankness that made Vegeta, for perhaps the first time in his life, afraid.  
He was afraid of the truth of what had happened, and afraid to know whether or not the boy even knew who he was.  
Trunks blinked once, and went back into unconsciousness.  
Rising, Vegeta felt hot tears on his cheeks, blurring his vision.  
"I won't lose him again." He told himself, his voice steady, despite the fact that his heart felt as though it was being ripped apart from inside.  
The boy moaned again, and Vegeta tried not to hear the pitiful sound, which reminded him somewhat of a wounded dog.  
Then the man reminded himself that the boy who lay there was no enemy of his, no foe to be left to die.  
The boy who lay leaned on the tree was not that, he was his own son.  
Meanwhile, in the atmosphere of the Earth...  
Ja-Aku spoke telepathically with his servant, Seizon-sha.  
"Is it done?" Ja-Aku asked, his voice low and rumbling.  
"Yes, Master. The boy lays broken. And the man will not fight yet, I don't believe." Seizon-sha told her master.  
"Good, good. Seizon-sha?" He asked.  
"Yes, Sire?" She asked him, her eyes shining with hope of a better and harder assignment than the one she had been on.  
"Do be sure to destroy that damned boy and his baka father, hm?" Ja-Aku told her, one hand rising to sweep a few stray strands of his platinum hair off of his forehead.  
"I shall not fail you, Master." She said, signing off.  
Ja-Aku sighed, one hand palm-up to the ceiling dramatically.  
"It's so hard to find good help these days." He said in a drawn-out tone.  
Meanwhile on Earth...  
The last stages of training were taking place, and high on a mountaintop, a strange man sat meditating, cross-legged, on a snow-covered peak, his eyes closed in concentration.  
His name was Piccolo.  
His eyes flickered open as he felt a sudden burst of power, then a fade, eventually lessening to the extent that Piccolo himself, accomplished as he was at reading power-levels, could hardly sense it.  
Suddenly there was another surge of power, unfamiliar and more intense than anything he had ever seen before.  
And this power had a name:  
Ja-Aku.  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart, it looks like Mirai Trunks' memory has been lost! Can Vegeta-chan bring him back to normal?! And Ja-Aku's arriving in only a week! Can we even hope to be well enough prepared to meet him? And what is Piccolo planning to do? Gohan-chan, you might not want to do that! Ack! Vegeta-san, what do you think you're doing with Mirai Trunks, anyway?!  
I'll see you next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart!  
SAYANORA MINNA-SAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	10. Part Ten

Worlds Apart Part Ten (Chapters 19 and 20)  
A Vegeta- Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any of the characters. I do own Ja-Aku, Atira Ikun, Lady Fire, Zon Keene, Seizon-sha, Princess Jun, and Kashikoi. But, as long as you e-mail me and tell me, you can use them in stories to. My e-mail address is BusterSword16@Yahoo.com .  
Warnings and the rest of the disclaimer is the same as the rest of the parts.  
Here we go, 'cuz this is Worlds Apart Part Ten!  
  
Note: Jikan Ryokou-sha means "Time Traveler" and Doushite means "Why".  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
The boy sat leaning on the tree, staring out into the early-morning mist, awake but not seeming quite there.  
His gaze was blank, his blue eyes completely emotionless, his feelings detached from reality. He did not notice when an ant crawled over one of his fingers to get to the other part of the grass, nor did he move an inch when the early wind blew some strands of his lavender hair into his face.  
Vegeta watched, his heart feeling as though it were being torn apart as he stood nearby, watching his son stare at nothing.  
"Who... Who am I?" Vegeta heard the boy murmer, almost under his breath.  
"Your name is Mirai Trunks." Vegeta answered sharply, "And I'm Vegeta. Your father."  
"Mirai... Trunks... And my father is.. Vegeta... But, wait.. Future?... What?" The boy was utterly confused, his eyes displaying to Vegeta how lost he was, as surely and plainly as though he was holding a sign that said 'I'm lost, please help me'.  
"Don't you remember anything, boy?" Vegeta asked, a bit annoyed.  
"N.... No, sir.." The boy stuttered, staring up at the man standing in front of him, "I don't.. Don't remember anything...." The boy paused for a moment before adding, "Not anything at all.. Father.."  
"Well at least you remember to call me that." Vegeta growled, agitated not at the boy but because he couldn't help his son.  
Mirai Trunks looked down at his own blood-stained body. He had no idea how he had been so injured, no idea how his body had been so harmed.  
"It feels...." The boy bit back a grunt of pain, "It feels like... Like a part of me... Is.. Is gone... Like it will never... Ever come back."  
"It will." Vegeta assured the boy, kneeling next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder, "You'll survive, and you'll remember, and if you don't, I'll make you."  
The boy groaned slightly, though it was obvious that he was trying not to. In that he was the same as always.  
"Alright..." Trunks muttered, a slight grin appearing.  
Vegeta did notice that there was something different about the boy now, although what was anyone's guess.  
The boy's gaze looked to Vegeta, wanting answers and guidance, and, maybe, someone to care.  
"Listen closely.. You came from another time.." Vegeta began to explain.  
Meanwhile, on a plain in just about the middle of nowhere, Piccolo had asked Son Gohan, Goku's eldest son of fourteen years, to meet him.  
Of course Gohan did this, mainly out of curiousity of what he wanted, and also out of loyalty to his sensei.  
"Piccolo-sensei, what is it?" The boy asked.  
"I've got a plan to stop Ja-Aku. I guess it's not all that bad that you have your Akumu Ouda attack.. In about thirty minutes one of Ja-Aku's servents will come down here, and we're going to destroy her." Piccolo said calmly. Gohan gave him a confused look.  
"Nani? But.. Doushite?" Gohan asked, looking up at his old sensei.  
"Because we have to destroy her because she destroyed the Jikan Ryokou-sha. Not as in he's dead, worse. Because this time the Dragon Balls can't help." Piccolo explained.  
"Nani? What happened to him?" The boy asked, his gaze never wavering from that of his sensei's.  
"She convinced him to fight Vegeta. She has mind-control. Vegeta used the Kiiro no Kirinuki Soushin suru on him. He's as good as dead and completely useless. After this I'll go see how he's doing." Piccolo replied.  
"How do you know these things?" Gohan asked. Piccolo gave a short laugh.  
"I was part Kami, remember? I know these things. I just focused on what was happening when I sensed an up-surge of energy in the area." Piccolo explained, his face once again set in stone.  
"Good point.. So she'll be arriving soon?" The boy replied, the grin that had taken to his face when Piccolo had been talking replaced by a serious frown.  
"Very soon." Piccolo said.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Twenty  
  
One half-hour later in the same place, Seizon-sha walked up to the boy and the Namek who stood there.  
"Oh look. A Namekian and a demi-Saiyajin. Oh, hey, I got a demi-Saiyajin destroyed a little while ago, didn't I?" She laughed, "Why do you stand there? Do you wish to fight me? You'll lose."  
"No we won't." Piccolo replied. Gohan powered up to Super Saiyan level 2, his power level doing a super-jump.  
"Let's go then." Gohan said, his face set in a scowl.  
Instantly Seizon-sha did a punch at Piccolo, which hit him in the arm. He didn't flinch. The Namek grinned.  
"Was that supposed to tickle?" He said, kicking her into a rock.  
Gohan powered up an attack: His most powerful.  
Feeling the stirrings of energy surrounding the boy, Seizon-sha froze. She knew she might not survive this.  
"Akumu Ouda!!!" Gohan cried, a beam of black energy laced with blue lightning struck Seizon-sha with the power of ten of Piccolo's beams put together.  
Seizon-sha nonetheless got to her feet unsteadily.  
She looked forward and her face reflected utter shock at what she saw.  
Piccolo stood before her, one hand in front of him.  
"Akuma Saigo no!!" The Namekian yelled, and the last thing Seizon-sha saw was a beam as black as the night with no stars or moon slam into her.  
All was silent for a moment.  
Gohan went back to his regular, and Piccolo powered down again.  
"Good job, kid." Piccolo said, walking off.  
"Nani? Hey Piccolo-san! Where are you going? You'll be here when Ja-Aku comes right?!" Gohan cried after his sensei.  
"I'll be there, kid. Wouldn't miss it for the world.." Piccolo said, only just loud enough so that Gohan could sense the smile he wore as he said the words.  
Sighing, Gohan turned to go home.  
"Ah... Itai.. I think I hurt myself.." Gohan muttered, looking at a small scratch on his arm that stung pretty badly, "Oh, what else is new?"  
Taking off, Gohan began the flight home.  
Meanwhile, Piccolo reached the area where Trunks and Vegeta were.  
Vegeta stood looking out towards the mountains near the cliff, and Trunks still leaned on that tree, his blank gaze shifting from his father to Piccolo as he sensed his coming.  
"Well, you're certainly doing tons to help him out, aren't you Vegeta?" Piccolo taunted, looking first at Vegeta and then at the injured youth by the tree.  
"Who are you?" Trunks asked, his eyes showing curiousity.  
"My name is Piccolo.. A Namekseijin, if that means anything to you. Your father over there was once an enemy of mine.." Piccolo said, thinking for a moment before adding, "He might still be for all I know."  
"Damn straight green." Vegeta said, turning towards the Namek.  
Piccolo saw that Vegeta had a rough cut on his arm, and Piccolo reasoned that it was from the fight he had had with Trunks.  
Trunks was in worse shape, but Piccolo ignored him for a moment.  
"You going to help this kid or am I taking him hitch-hiking by the tail all the way back to the Lookout?" Piccolo asked.  
"He doesn't have a tail, baka." Vegeta cursed, "He's only a demi-Saiyajin."  
"He does though." Piccolo pointed. Vegeta looked and sure enough the boy had a tail.  
"Hm.. So he does." Vegeta said, "And I'll take care of him here, you baka."  
Turning to walk away, Piccolo looked back at Trunks.  
"Be good for your father okay? You don't want me having to come back having to explain to your mother why you got dragged by the tail all the way to the Lookout, okay?" Piccolo said, then muttered under his breath, "So Vegeta really does have a heart after all.. Hm, that's a new and interesting one, anyway."  
  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart! Goku-chan's got some ideas and goes to see Mirai-Trunks and Vegeta! Oh, and I wonder what would happen if Mirai Trunks got hit over the head with a heavy object? Oh no! Krillin don't try that! Ack! Baka what if you do more harm than help?  
Vegeta trys to re-teach the past to Mirai Trunks, but unfortunately he doesn't know as much about his son as he thinks he does. Oh well, I guess we should just wish luck to Krillin's idea then! See you!  
Sayanora Minna-san!!!! 


	11. Part Eleven

Worlds Apart Part Twelve (Chapters 23 and 24)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan's back with the disclaimers!)  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any characters who I didn't make up myself. I also don't own Ronin Warriors (in Chapter Twenty-Three Atira says a line from Ryo in Ronin Warriors, if you didn't know what show it was from). If I did, there would be a Worlds Apart saga in DragonBall Z, don't you think? I wouldn't spend all my time writing DBZ and Digimon fics (I'm in the process of writing a Digimon 02 song-fic called "Man After Midnight" which is pretty dramatic) and creating new girlfriends for Mirai Trunks, Gohan (that's with my friend Shannon's help), and the others. Same rules apply as before. Oh, and I'd like to thank my brother Joey (he got me into DBZ in the first place, back when they only showed Raditz saga and I had a crush on Goku and thought Gohan was adorable {BTW I still think Gohan is adorable but I don't have a crush on Goku anymore and have moved on.. To Mirai Trunks, of course, and older Gohan}) and OF COURSE my best friend Shannon, who helped me get back on track after almost a month without working beyond Digimon fics with her incessant pleading with me to do another Worlds Apart story ('cuz she's still waiting for her made-up character to come in, I guess), and of course all my friends (Thank you! You guys are awesome!)! I have gotten an enormous amount of requests from my brother and Shannon and people who read this thing in it's original state (meaning parts 1-11) and liked it, who wanted to see Part Twelve, so here we go!!! This is Worlds Apart, Part Twelve!  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
"I think I have something to show you guys." Atira Ikun told the others, as Mirai Trunks smiled at her reassuringly.  
"What?" Krillin asked, his voice hopeful.  
"This." She said, then laughed, "Flare Up Now!"  
Her aura, usually blue-white, turned golden, as did her hair, as her obsidian eyes turned a peircing blue, as she repeated a signature line from her favorite show.  
The murmers that followed made the room alive with sound as people asked questions.  
"I taught her, when I realized she was Saiyajin." Mirai Trunks said, his tone calm and his voice steady as he looked at his friends and his two students (I use the term students loosely, since they are Atira and Chibi-Trunks, and Atira is the same age as he is).  
"What?" Vegeta asked, more to himself than anyone else.  
"She's Saiyajin." Future Trunks repeated.  
"Well, that'll help against Ja-Aku won't it?" Atira asked when she had powered down.  
"Yeah of course." Goku said, smiling.  
"Let's get to training, then!" Bulma replied, not allowing Vegeta to get a word in edgewise.  
Later on, Mirai Trunks walked alone through the garden outside of the Capsule Corp. building, like he always did when he needed to be alone.  
Suddenly he sensed someone behind him- an attack!  
He ducked just in time to see the oaken staff pass over his head.  
Blinking, Trunks turned around to see Kashikoi behind him, grinning slightly. Trunks frowned.  
"Why do you always come every time I need to be alone?" Trunks asked the strange old man, who was now grim-faced.  
"I come when you are alone." Kashikoi replied calmly, "You did well sensing that."  
"Uh, thanks." The future boy said, "So, what now?"  
"We train."  
"Wha-?" Trunks didn't even get to finish his sentence before a beam flew at him from the old man. Jumping up, he nimbly but barely dodged the attack, going Super Saiyan without even thinking about it.  
"As I said." Kashikoi said, his tone even.  
The old man was surprisingly agile for someone his age, and Mirai Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan level 3.  
"Rei Soushin suru!" Trunks cried, loosing the pale-lavender/white beam on Kashikoi, who dodged, though not completely, and was defeated.  
The future-boy powered back down to normal and helped Kashikoi up.  
"Well...." The old man mused, "You certainly are of your father's blood, no doubt about that."  
"I'm sorry." Trunks apologized with a slight bow, as one might give to someone his equal, "I didn't mean to hit so hard."  
"I am fine." Kashikoi said, knowing that it would be the only thing to comfort the boy.  
"Good. Why did you do that?" Trunks couldn't help but ask. Kashikoi laughed bitterly.  
"To see how far along you'd come in your training." The old man replied.  
Trunks muttered a slight "Oh" in a soft voice, still confused.  
"Don't worry about me, I'm old but still strong." Kashikoi reassured the boy, "You'll do fine. You'll see me again soon."  
"But-" Trunks started, but the old man was already gone, "He sure does think a lot of me, doesn't he?"  
Trunks started back, but at the edge of the garden he stopped. In front of him stood his father, looking angry.  
"Who were you talking to back there?" Vegeta asked. Trunks laughed nervously.  
"N- no one, Father, just myself! Bad habit.." The young time-traveler replied, hiding the identity of Kashikoi behind the stone walls of his memory.  
"You're lying." Vegeta accused, even angrier.  
Mirai Trunks despaired. He didn't want his father to know about Kashikoi..  
Wait! An idea struck him. He could use the old man's original name, and pray to whatever God was out there that his father didn't know about it.  
"Uh... Some guy named Otoshiyori wanted to talk to me, is all!" Trunks confessed, hoping that his father knew little enough Japanese not to know the meaning of that.  
"Why on Earth would someone call themselves that?" Vegeta asked himself, then, to Trunks, "You're still lying."  
"I'm not!" Trunks said, despairing yet again.  
"I'm your father, I have the right to know this." Vegeta said, for once acknologing Trunks as his son.  
"I... I was told not to tell anyone..." Trunks said, "Especially not you."  
"Why not? Who was it?" The older man asked, curious and angry at the same time.  
"He said his name was Kashikoi..." Trunks confessed finally. Vegeta was furious.  
"What is HE doing STILL ALIVE?!" He roared, his temper raising so that he almost hit Trunks, who flinched back as though he had been hit.  
"Father, please calm down." Mirai Trunks said to his father, placing a tentative hand on the older man's shoulder.  
"You don't tell me what to do!" Vegeta snarled, smacking Trunks in the side of the face, which sent the boy spiraling into a nearby tree, which he nearly went through.  
"Ugh... Father, please be a little more gentle, please?" Trunks pleaded, smiling grimly.  
"Hm." Vegeta said quietly, "You need to get stronger. What did he say to you, anyway?"  
"Not much. He wanted to spar or something." Trunks replied, trying not to make it an outright lie- he hated to lie to people, especially his father.  
"Good." Vegeta remarked, walking away.  
"I'll see you later then, Father." The future-boy whispered to the wind as he watched his father walk away.  
Then he turned to the Capsule Corp. building and walked inside.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Twenty-Four  
  
"Listen, we don't have very long to train." A fourteen-year-old boy said to a young girl of about thirteen, "Are you going to learn or not?"  
"You bet!" She said excitedly, "Gohan, you know I will!"  
"No second thoughts now, Sukishue." Gohan replied sternly, his demeanor much too serious for someone his age.  
"I know." Sukishue complained, growing impatient with the pause in lessons.  
"Okay, how do you want to learn? The way Piccolo taught me, or the way Vegeta taught Trunks?" Gohan asked, a mischievous smile on his face.  
"Uh.." Sukishue paused, thinking. Vegeta, she knew, had taught Trunks how to fly by dropping him from two hundred miles in the air. She thought back, trying to remember how Gohan had learned to fly... Oh, yeah, she remembered, the same way.  
"Well?" Now Gohan was impatient with her. She nodded to herself.  
"Either one!" Sukishue said, having figured out his riddle.  
"Okay." Gohan said, grabbing her hand and flying up with her, until they reached one-and-a-half hundred miles from the Earth's surface.  
"What?! But it was two hundred miles! This is less!" Sukishue shrieked.  
"This is how Piccolo taught me, silly. You said either." Gohan replied solemnly.  
"Ugh... I have a BAD feeling about this." Sukishue muttered.  
About that second, Gohan dropped the poor red-head into the air.  
"HEEE.....LLLLLLLLLL......PPPPPPPPP.........MMMMM......EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sukishue screamed, caught her breath, and screamed again.  
"Calm down." Gohan said quietly, floating beside her, "Just use your Ki energy."  
"EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!!!!!!" Sukishue screeched, waving her arms around as though they were wings, attempting to slow her fall. Gohan just laughed, seeing his best friend, a proud person, to say the least, unable to calm herself in the midst of such an easy test.  
'But, don't forget how you screamed when you were learning, Gohan. Don't laugh at her.' A voice inside his head told him. Piccolo flew up behind them.  
"Hi Piccolo." Gohan greeted calmly, still following Sukishue downward. Piccolo now followed the descent as well.  
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!" Yoshi Sukishue pleaded loudly.  
"CALM DOWN!!" Gohan cried, causing Yoshi to stop in mid-air.  
"Gohan?" Piccolo asked, incredulous.  
"You NEVER yell." Said a stationary Sukishue.  
Gohan just stared.  
"Sukishue! You did it!" Gohan said happily. Sukishue looked down, screamed, and fainted.  
Fortunately Gohan caught her before any real harm came to her.  
"Poor thing." Piccolo remarked sarcastically.  
"Let's get her back to Kame House." Gohan replied to his sensei.  
"What does this look like, a chauffuer service?" Piccolo asked, but none-the-less followed his student through the clouds on the way back to Kame House.  
Meanwhile, in a field that had been cleared to serve their purpose, two fighters dodged each other's blows, throwing brightly colored blasts at each other when they could.  
"Vegeta you are going DOWN!" One of the fighters shouted to the other playfully. The other fighter snarled.  
"I don't think so Kakkarott." Vegeta responded, throwing a purplish beam the way of his opponent, the great hero Son Goku.  
"You MISSED!" Goku called, dodging Vegeta's beam.  
"I wouldn't speak." Vegeta said, likewise dodging Goku's beam.  
They continued fighting for a long while, neither one winning, until finally both were too exhausted to fight any longer.  
"I think that's good enough for today." Goku panted. Vegeta scowled and sent a small Ki beam into Goku's rear end, causing the younger man to howl in pain.  
"Vegeta! Itai! That HURT!" Goku cried, grabbing his butt and running around in circles.  
"I believe that that is the point, Kakkarott." Vegeta grinned cruelly and flew away, leaving alone the poor man.  
In yet another place, Mirai Trunks trained Chibi-Trunks in the Gravity Chamber.  
"Come on, fight hard!" Mirai Trunks chided his younger self.  
"Bring it on!" Chibi-Trunks said, smiling slightly.  
"If you insist." Future Trunks said, "Kutabatchimae!"  
The strange red-orange beam flew at the young boy, of course not at full power, and Chibi-Trunks put his hands out in front of him to counter it.  
"Aoi Kousen!" The boy fired off a long, straight blue beam at Mirai Trunks, and the two attacks canceled each other out.  
"Think that's enough for today?" Mirai Trunks asked, smiling.  
"Yeah.." Chibi-Trunks wiped sweat from his forehead.  
Later, at the Earth's Special Forces meeting, Mirai Trunks came to speak at the front of the assembled forces.  
"Listen, we've got five more days until Ja-Aku arrives here, and we've got to be in top physical condition, okay?" Everyone nodded, "So train hard, and don't forget to rest." He said the last part with a distinct look at his father, who only grinned in that way that said that no way in Hell was he going to listen. Only Bulma spoke.  
"You heard the man! Get going!"  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa, Minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart! The training commences, with one new member! Mine and Yamcha's thirteen year old daughter Yoshi Sukishue now trains with Son Gohan! Mirai Trunks is getting restless, and goes to fight Seizon-sha again! WHAT is he thinking? Does Yoshi have any chance at becoming a good fighter? And what happened to Lady Fire and the others, anyway? Well, find out next time in Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart!  
SAYANORA! 


	12. Part Twelve

Worlds Apart Part Twelve (Chapters 23 and 24)  
A Vegeta-Mirai no Trunks Story  
By SS4Vegito and SS4Pan (Pan's back with the disclaimers!)  
  
  
DISCLAIMER:  
I don't own DBZ or any characters who I didn't make up myself. I also don't own Ronin Warriors (in Chapter Twenty-Three Atira says a line from Ryo in Ronin Warriors, if you didn't know what show it was from). If I did, there would be a Worlds Apart saga in DragonBall Z, don't you think? I wouldn't spend all my time writing DBZ and Digimon fics (I'm in the process of writing a Digimon 02 song-fic called "Man After Midnight" which is pretty dramatic) and creating new girlfriends for Mirai Trunks, Gohan (that's with my friend Shannon's help), and the others. Same rules apply as before. Oh, and I'd like to thank my brother Joey (he got me into DBZ in the first place, back when they only showed Raditz saga and I had a crush on Goku and thought Gohan was adorable {BTW I still think Gohan is adorable but I don't have a crush on Goku anymore and have moved on.. To Mirai Trunks, of course, and older Gohan}) and OF COURSE my best friend Shannon, who helped me get back on track after almost a month without working beyond Digimon fics with her incessant pleading with me to do another Worlds Apart story ('cuz she's still waiting for her made-up character to come in, I guess), and of course all my friends (Thank you! You guys are awesome!)! I have gotten an enormous amount of requests from my brother and Shannon and people who read this thing in it's original state (meaning parts 1-11) and liked it, who wanted to see Part Twelve, so here we go!!! This is Worlds Apart, Part Twelve!  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
"I think I have something to show you guys." Atira Ikun told the others, as Mirai Trunks smiled at her reassuringly.  
"What?" Krillin asked, his voice hopeful.  
"This." She said, then laughed, "Flare Up Now!"  
Her aura, usually blue-white, turned golden, as did her hair, as her obsidian eyes turned a peircing blue, as she repeated a signature line from her favorite show.  
The murmers that followed made the room alive with sound as people asked questions.  
"I taught her, when I realized she was Saiyajin." Mirai Trunks said, his tone calm and his voice steady as he looked at his friends and his two students (I use the term students loosely, since they are Atira and Chibi-Trunks, and Atira is the same age as he is).  
"What?" Vegeta asked, more to himself than anyone else.  
"She's Saiyajin." Future Trunks repeated.  
"Well, that'll help against Ja-Aku won't it?" Atira asked when she had powered down.  
"Yeah of course." Goku said, smiling.  
"Let's get to training, then!" Bulma replied, not allowing Vegeta to get a word in edgewise.  
Later on, Mirai Trunks walked alone through the garden outside of the Capsule Corp. building, like he always did when he needed to be alone.  
Suddenly he sensed someone behind him- an attack!  
He ducked just in time to see the oaken staff pass over his head.  
Blinking, Trunks turned around to see Kashikoi behind him, grinning slightly. Trunks frowned.  
"Why do you always come every time I need to be alone?" Trunks asked the strange old man, who was now grim-faced.  
"I come when you are alone." Kashikoi replied calmly, "You did well sensing that."  
"Uh, thanks." The future boy said, "So, what now?"  
"We train."  
"Wha-?" Trunks didn't even get to finish his sentence before a beam flew at him from the old man. Jumping up, he nimbly but barely dodged the attack, going Super Saiyan without even thinking about it.  
"As I said." Kashikoi said, his tone even.  
The old man was surprisingly agile for someone his age, and Mirai Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan level 3.  
"Rei Soushin suru!" Trunks cried, loosing the pale-lavender/white beam on Kashikoi, who dodged, though not completely, and was defeated.  
The future-boy powered back down to normal and helped Kashikoi up.  
"Well...." The old man mused, "You certainly are of your father's blood, no doubt about that."  
"I'm sorry." Trunks apologized with a slight bow, as one might give to someone his equal, "I didn't mean to hit so hard."  
"I am fine." Kashikoi said, knowing that it would be the only thing to comfort the boy.  
"Good. Why did you do that?" Trunks couldn't help but ask. Kashikoi laughed bitterly.  
"To see how far along you'd come in your training." The old man replied.  
Trunks muttered a slight "Oh" in a soft voice, still confused.  
"Don't worry about me, I'm old but still strong." Kashikoi reassured the boy, "You'll do fine. You'll see me again soon."  
"But-" Trunks started, but the old man was already gone, "He sure does think a lot of me, doesn't he?"  
Trunks started back, but at the edge of the garden he stopped. In front of him stood his father, looking angry.  
"Who were you talking to back there?" Vegeta asked. Trunks laughed nervously.  
"N- no one, Father, just myself! Bad habit.." The young time-traveler replied, hiding the identity of Kashikoi behind the stone walls of his memory.  
"You're lying." Vegeta accused, even angrier.  
Mirai Trunks despaired. He didn't want his father to know about Kashikoi..  
Wait! An idea struck him. He could use the old man's original name, and pray to whatever God was out there that his father didn't know about it.  
"Uh... Some guy named Otoshiyori wanted to talk to me, is all!" Trunks confessed, hoping that his father knew little enough Japanese not to know the meaning of that.  
"Why on Earth would someone call themselves that?" Vegeta asked himself, then, to Trunks, "You're still lying."  
"I'm not!" Trunks said, despairing yet again.  
"I'm your father, I have the right to know this." Vegeta said, for once acknologing Trunks as his son.  
"I... I was told not to tell anyone..." Trunks said, "Especially not you."  
"Why not? Who was it?" The older man asked, curious and angry at the same time.  
"He said his name was Kashikoi..." Trunks confessed finally. Vegeta was furious.  
"What is HE doing STILL ALIVE?!" He roared, his temper raising so that he almost hit Trunks, who flinched back as though he had been hit.  
"Father, please calm down." Mirai Trunks said to his father, placing a tentative hand on the older man's shoulder.  
"You don't tell me what to do!" Vegeta snarled, smacking Trunks in the side of the face, which sent the boy spiraling into a nearby tree, which he nearly went through.  
"Ugh... Father, please be a little more gentle, please?" Trunks pleaded, smiling grimly.  
"Hm." Vegeta said quietly, "You need to get stronger. What did he say to you, anyway?"  
"Not much. He wanted to spar or something." Trunks replied, trying not to make it an outright lie- he hated to lie to people, especially his father.  
"Good." Vegeta remarked, walking away.  
"I'll see you later then, Father." The future-boy whispered to the wind as he watched his father walk away.  
Then he turned to the Capsule Corp. building and walked inside.  
  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter Twenty-Four  
  
"Listen, we don't have very long to train." A fourteen-year-old boy said to a young girl of about thirteen, "Are you going to learn or not?"  
"You bet!" She said excitedly, "Gohan, you know I will!"  
"No second thoughts now, Sukishue." Gohan replied sternly, his demeanor much too serious for someone his age.  
"I know." Sukishue complained, growing impatient with the pause in lessons.  
"Okay, how do you want to learn? The way Piccolo taught me, or the way Vegeta taught Trunks?" Gohan asked, a mischievous smile on his face.  
"Uh.." Sukishue paused, thinking. Vegeta, she knew, had taught Trunks how to fly by dropping him from two hundred miles in the air. She thought back, trying to remember how Gohan had learned to fly... Oh, yeah, she remembered, the same way.  
"Well?" Now Gohan was impatient with her. She nodded to herself.  
"Either one!" Sukishue said, having figured out his riddle.  
"Okay." Gohan said, grabbing her hand and flying up with her, until they reached one-and-a-half hundred miles from the Earth's surface.  
"What?! But it was two hundred miles! This is less!" Sukishue shrieked.  
"This is how Piccolo taught me, silly. You said either." Gohan replied solemnly.  
"Ugh... I have a BAD feeling about this." Sukishue muttered.  
About that second, Gohan dropped the poor red-head into the air.  
"HEEE.....LLLLLLLLLL......PPPPPPPPP.........MMMMM......EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sukishue screamed, caught her breath, and screamed again.  
"Calm down." Gohan said quietly, floating beside her, "Just use your Ki energy."  
"EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!!!!!!" Sukishue screeched, waving her arms around as though they were wings, attempting to slow her fall. Gohan just laughed, seeing his best friend, a proud person, to say the least, unable to calm herself in the midst of such an easy test.  
'But, don't forget how you screamed when you were learning, Gohan. Don't laugh at her.' A voice inside his head told him. Piccolo flew up behind them.  
"Hi Piccolo." Gohan greeted calmly, still following Sukishue downward. Piccolo now followed the descent as well.  
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!" Yoshi Sukishue pleaded loudly.  
"CALM DOWN!!" Gohan cried, causing Yoshi to stop in mid-air.  
"Gohan?" Piccolo asked, incredulous.  
"You NEVER yell." Said a stationary Sukishue.  
Gohan just stared.  
"Sukishue! You did it!" Gohan said happily. Sukishue looked down, screamed, and fainted.  
Fortunately Gohan caught her before any real harm came to her.  
"Poor thing." Piccolo remarked sarcastically.  
"Let's get her back to Kame House." Gohan replied to his sensei.  
"What does this look like, a chauffuer service?" Piccolo asked, but none-the-less followed his student through the clouds on the way back to Kame House.  
Meanwhile, in a field that had been cleared to serve their purpose, two fighters dodged each other's blows, throwing brightly colored blasts at each other when they could.  
"Vegeta you are going DOWN!" One of the fighters shouted to the other playfully. The other fighter snarled.  
"I don't think so Kakkarott." Vegeta responded, throwing a purplish beam the way of his opponent, the great hero Son Goku.  
"You MISSED!" Goku called, dodging Vegeta's beam.  
"I wouldn't speak." Vegeta said, likewise dodging Goku's beam.  
They continued fighting for a long while, neither one winning, until finally both were too exhausted to fight any longer.  
"I think that's good enough for today." Goku panted. Vegeta scowled and sent a small Ki beam into Goku's rear end, causing the younger man to howl in pain.  
"Vegeta! Itai! That HURT!" Goku cried, grabbing his butt and running around in circles.  
"I believe that that is the point, Kakkarott." Vegeta grinned cruelly and flew away, leaving alone the poor man.  
In yet another place, Mirai Trunks trained Chibi-Trunks in the Gravity Chamber.  
"Come on, fight hard!" Mirai Trunks chided his younger self.  
"Bring it on!" Chibi-Trunks said, smiling slightly.  
"If you insist." Future Trunks said, "Kutabatchimae!"  
The strange red-orange beam flew at the young boy, of course not at full power, and Chibi-Trunks put his hands out in front of him to counter it.  
"Aoi Kousen!" The boy fired off a long, straight blue beam at Mirai Trunks, and the two attacks canceled each other out.  
"Think that's enough for today?" Mirai Trunks asked, smiling.  
"Yeah.." Chibi-Trunks wiped sweat from his forehead.  
Later, at the Earth's Special Forces meeting, Mirai Trunks came to speak at the front of the assembled forces.  
"Listen, we've got five more days until Ja-Aku arrives here, and we've got to be in top physical condition, okay?" Everyone nodded, "So train hard, and don't forget to rest." He said the last part with a distinct look at his father, who only grinned in that way that said that no way in Hell was he going to listen. Only Bulma spoke.  
"You heard the man! Get going!"  
  
=END=  
Konnichiwa, Minna-san! Bulma here! Next time on Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart! The training commences, with one new member! Mine and Yamcha's thirteen year old daughter Yoshi Sukishue now trains with Son Gohan! Mirai Trunks is getting restless, and goes to fight Seizon-sha again! WHAT is he thinking? Does Yoshi have any chance at becoming a good fighter? And what happened to Lady Fire and the others, anyway? Well, find out next time in Dragon Ball Z Worlds Apart!  
SAYANORA! 


End file.
